The Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW) is a team of specialists who provide eligible watershed groups, environmental groups, or local grassroots project sponsors Program Management and Scientific Technical Assistance through the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s (PADEP) Growing Greener Program. The service is at no cost to eligible groups.   At present there are nine partners that are members of the C-SAW Program.  In addition to Wilkes University, the other partners are: Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring at Dickinson College, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania Lake Management Society, Stroud Water Research Center, Pennsylvania RC&D, and United States Geological Survey . The C-SAW program is operated by the Pocono-Northeast RC&D.  The goal for C-SAW is to transfer knowledge and skills to watershed groups or local sponsors thereby helping to build their capacity to plan and conduct watershed assessments, and conduct post-implementation monitoring.

To learn more click here. Applications within the SEPA RC&D Council service area should be mailed to the SEPA RC&D current mailing address.

Eastern Delware County Stormwater Colaborative Members

On Thursday, December 1, 2011, Eastern Delaware County municipalities celebrated an exciting milestone.  The Boroughs of Collingdale, Sharon Hill, Yeadon and Upper Darby Township were recognized for signing on Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative Inter-governmental Agreement.  Elected Officials formally adopted the agreement at public meetings in November.  The four municipalities were recognized by the Southeastern PA Resource Conservation and Development(RC&D) Council, Project Sponsor, the County and other partners for their joint initiative across municipal boundaries to manage stormwater and comply with Pennsylvania’s stormwater permit requirements.

The Collaborative municipalities will be able to more efficiently and economically address stormwater problems and comply with DEP stormwater permit requirements.  Through this partnership, the four municipalities will work together to conduct required training programs for municipal staff and contractors, host education and outreach events, enlist involvement from residents and other constituents, take advantage of economies of scale for educational publications and other permit related activities.

Collectively, these practices and programs will help prevent water pollution and protect streams like the Darby Creek from Degradation that can result from uncontrolled and polluted stormwater runoff.  The four municipalities are the first members to sign the agreement and formalize their commitment to work together to undertake regulatory requirements to prevent water pollution in the Darby Creek Watershed.

Southeastern PA RC&D Council has led this effort over several years. The project focused on urbanized communities in Delaware County to formalize joint municipal stormwater management activities.Karen Holm, Southeastern PA RC&D Board Member and Delaware County Planning Department Manager said “I am encouraged by the dedication shown over the many months of working together to prepare and inter-governmental cooperative agreement; it signals readiness among municipalities to work together to more efficiently address the challenges of storm water management.  Starting in 2012, the Collaborative will be well positioned to conduct combined training events and education projects for the four partners.  This collaboration will help member municipalities meet their permit goals and obligations in a more cost -effective manner, avoid inefficiencies that can occur under the municipal permit, and present a more unified and consistent educational messages to communities and constituents.”

Funding for this innovative project has been provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and The William Penn Foundation. The Southeastern PA Resource Conservation and Development Council, a regional nonprofit organization helped organize the collaborative and obtained the grant funding for this unique project. The Delaware County Planning Department and the Delaware County Conservation District have been actively involved in organizing and assisting the Collaborative with assistance and participation from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Resource Conservation and Development Council held a free Organic Transitions Farm Workshop for small farmers at the Greener Partners Longview Center for Agriculture in Collegeville, PA on Tuesday, November 15 from 1:00 to 5:30pm. The event focused on teaching growers how to implement organic, low-input, sustainable techniques in their operations, and includes a tour of the center and series of lectures.

Participants had the opportunity to see farmland conservation practices being implemented, including those benefiting soil, water, and pollinator habitat preservation. Participants toured  the Longview Center for Agriculture, a 90 acre certified organic farm, which showcases how a wide array of conservation-oriented techniques, such as cover crop rotations, seasonal high tunnels, integrated pest management, and organic orchard management, can be utilized to holistically address a wide range of natural resource concerns.

Andrew Frankenfield, Penn State Extension Educator for Montgomery County, provided participants with a dynamic presentation on expert cover crop management techniques, including cover crop species selection and rotation as it relates to improving overall soil health. No till systems, as they relate to sustainable practices, were also be addressed.

Information about the financial and technical resources available to growers interested in adopting conversation practices which support organic agriculture systems were presented by Austin Drager, Natural Resource Specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Additionally information was provided by Rick Fonda, Production Manager for the Longview Center for Agriculture.

Ian Phelps speaking about Transitioning to Organic Practices