TOOKANY CREEK WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
PLAN
By the Heritage Conservancy
 s
this project is still in the initial planning stages, we thought
it would be useful to read the management plan, as written
by the Heritage Conservancy.
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Tookany Creek Watershed Management Plan has several key players
all working together to make an impact in this watershed,
which eventually leads to the Delaware River. The participating
municipalities are: Abington and Cheltenham Townships, and
Jenkingtown and Rockledge Boroughs. Cheltenham Township received
a grant award from PA DCNR in April 2000 to begin the restoration
efforts, and hired Heritage Conservancy to in summer 2000
to begin the planning.
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in population, density, and misuse and overuse in land development
over the decades has created various impacts on the environmental
quality of the natural stream features, particularly on our
waterways and water quality. Some of these include loss of
wetlands, woodlands, and vegetative river buffers; and increased
building, which creates impermeable surfaces that increase
storm water runoff and flooding. Overuse and misuse of stream
bank corridors as recreational amenities and the use of harmful
pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals on lawns and
gardens have also adversely impacted the river corridor and
water quality because of non?point source pollution. Cheltenham
Township and its partnering communities have identified the
following project goals:
 Improve
coordination of river?related activities and ordinances.
Improve public education to promote stewardship of river
resources.
Improve environmental and land conservation efforts by
preserving open space, sensitive environmental areas and
habitats by promoting such concepts as riparian buffer stream
bank preservation and restoration, reforestation, creek
protection, floodplain preservation, water quality, stream
bank maintenance, and improve water quality by reducing
non?point source (NPS) pollution.
Design non?engineering best management practices (BMPs)
and techniques
aimed at reducing flooding and improving soil and sedimentation
controls.
Design methods for improved communication among local,
county, state and federal governments.
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Heritage Conservancy's approach to the project will follow
the five-step process advocated by the Pennsylvania Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR).
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preparing two other river conservation plans, we recognize
the effectiveness of the community-input oriented planning
process. A citizen steering group was formed to provide citizen
input in the planning process for the development of this
plan and may be in place by the time the professional consultant
is selected. The Heritage Conservancy will provide the direction
collaboratively with Cheltenham Township. We view this steering
committee as the backbone of the process and want to empower
them to be a major stakeholder throughout. The Heritage Conservancy
will provide concrete tools and skills in order to objectively
inventory and assess their respective municipalities' resources.
The steering committee as of Spring 20001 has begun to conduct
fieldwork on their respective sections of the Tookany Creek
and its tributaries using a visual assessment process developed
by the conservancy.
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groups will meet regularly with them over the course of the
project to present to and solicit information from them related
to the specific tasks. Ten steering committee meetings are
recommended throughout the five
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