One of the greatest threats to the Schuylkill River Watershed is the loss of open space. When undeveloped land is converted to hardscapes such as roads, parking lots, and buildings, water quality is impacted by both the introduction of new pollutants and a loss of the watershed's filtering capacity. Natural lands serve as a filter, removing pollutants before they enter waterways.
Based on some projections, development is expected to increase by 40% in the Schuylkill River Watershed. The Watershed Land Collaborative Workgroup works with key stakeholders to implement conservation projects on high quality lands. By preserving high quality lands throughout the watershed, the workgroup is protecting water quality.
To learn about the economic benefits of protecting open space in Southeastern Pennsylvania, click here.
Interested in learning how to preserve land? Check out the resources below:
Berks Nature "Protect Your Land" Conservation Easements
Chester County Planning Commission "Return on Environment"
Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC): Open Space Planning
Montgomery County Open Space Program
Schuylkill County Agricultural Land Preservation Program
Case studies of collaborative models for protecting conservation landscapes in Pennsylvania can be found by reading 2019 Pennsylvania Conservation Landscapes: Models for Collaboration.
The Schuylkill Watershed Priority Lands Strategy is a model that recognizes the Land-Water Connection and identifies the highest priority lands to protect. The project uses GIS modeling to identify areas within the Schuylkill Watershed that are the most important to preserve for both ecological and drinking water source protection, further defined by development threat over the next 20 years.
Name | Upload Date | Download | View |
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Schuylkill Priority Lands - Areas of FrictionCombined Schuylkill priority lands and future development projections from the 2007 Schuylkill Priority Lands Tool. |
January 2, 2018 | Download | View |
Schuylkill Priority LandsCombined SmartConservation and Drinking Water Source prioritizations from the 2007 Schuylkill Priority Lands Tool. |
January 2, 2018 | Download | View |
Schuylkill Priority Lands - SmartConservationSmartConservation Model for the Schuylkill River Watershed developed by Natural Lands. |
January 2, 2018 | Download | View |
Schuylkill Priority Lands - Drinking Water Source PrioritizationMap of Drinking Water Source Prioritization in the Schuylkill River Watershed developed by Philadelphia Water Department |
January 2, 2018 | Download | View |
Schuylkill Priority Lands - Future Development ProjectionsFuture Development Projections in the Schuylkill River Watershed developed by Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission. Includes DVRPC Regional Growth Model, Berks County Growth Model, and Schuylkill County Growth Model. |
January 2, 2018 | Download | View |
2023 Bus Tour Itinerary |
August 21, 2023 | Download | View |