Northkill Creek

Studies of the Northkill Creek continue to note a healthy aquatic community that should be protected. Water quality was ranked as good to excellent, though at times slight organic enrichment with elevated nitrate levels was noted. Less than 2% of the Northkill Creek watershed is currently classified as urban/residential but sprawling development with associated water quality and quantity impacts has come to the region and the conversion of farmland and open space areas to residential use is occurring in the watershed.

The Delaware Riverkeeper Network (DRN), established in 1988 as an affiliate of the American Littoral Society, stands as a vigilant protector and defender of the River, its tributaries and its watershed. DRN works from the "bottom up," educating and engaging communities and citizens to act and advocate for change. At the same time DRN also works from the top down, engaging regulatory and policy makers in the long-term job of making true watershed decision-making and ecological integrity a reality. Today, DRN counts nearly 6,000 members throughout the Delaware River Watershed.

DRN staff will begin this work by developing a relationship with all watershed municipalities to encourage their participation in the development of the Coldwater Conservation Plan. DRN staff will then gather and review existing Northkill Creek watershed data, including biological and chemical data recently collected by the United States Geological Survey. A limited number of parameters will be selected and presented, along with information about the significance of these parameters, in a plain language report written that will be presented to the general public in an informational meeting. The purpose of the meeting will be to explain the development of the Coldwater Conservation Plan, present data that has been collected, and solicit input into protection and restoration needs through a nominal group process.

The input derived from the nominal group process will be used along compiled into a draft Coldwater Conservation Plan along with information on previous studies, descriptions of the unique and outstanding values of the watershed, and areas of concern and potential conflict. This draft plan will be presented at a second public meeting for comment and support. Input from the second public meeting will be used to revise and finalize the Coldwater Conservation Plan.

Chari Towne
Director, Schuylkill Office
Delaware Riverkeeper Network
P.O. Box 459
Saint Peters , PA 19470
phone:  610-469-6005
fax:       610-469-6025
email:  chari@delawareriverkeeper.org
www.delawareriverkeeper.org

  Download the Northkill Coldwater Conservation Plan