Apply to Become a Master Watershed Steward!
Montgomery County Conservation District and Penn State Extension are pleased to announce the second class of Master Watershed Stewards will be offered this spring for Montgomery County residents.
Master Watershed Stewards is a volunteer program led by Penn State Extension with the goal of building capacity for watershed protection and restoration by training volunteers who can make an impact. Master Watershed Stewards receive 40 hours of training on water resource stewardship and then put their expertise to use helping and leading projects to protect and enhance water quality.
Click here to learn more about this program and to apply!
Conservation District Installs Educational Displays on Protecting the Stony Creek
Montgomery County Conservation District installed two educational displays last month at the Norristown Farm Park headquarters, with funding from PA American Water’s Environmental Grant Program.
The displays are titled “Protecting the Stony Creek Watershed” and “Agricultural Conservation at the Farm Park.” The watershed education display features a hand-drawn mural backdrop of the Stony Creek watershed and landscape surrounding the Farm Park, with four educational posters highlighting streamside forests, stormwater pollution, drinking water treatment and waste water treatment.
The agricultural conservation display features an aerial map backdrop with conservation best management practices illustrated on the farm fields. Four educational posters discuss soil health, diversions and terraces, no-till farming and grassed waterways.
As visitors to the displays will learn, we are all connected by the streams and rivers that run through our towns. Simply by planting a garden, picking up after pets and keeping storm drains clean, we can all make a difference in the health of Stony Creek, which is a source of drinking water for local communities.
The display cases are available for viewing seven days a week for visitors to the park, in the school groups, classes, special presentations and community events hosted by the Farm Park. The display cases will teach thousands of visitors each year about the importance of protecting our soil and water resources in order to better the health of our environment and community.
The District Application for Review and the Expedited Review Policy have been updated for 2016
The Montgomery County Conservation District has revised its Application for Chapter 102 and/or NPDES Permit Review to clarify a few items and add some minor revisions. The changes become effective on January 1st, 2016. The plan review fees remain unchanged. The expedited plan review policy has also been revised. Both documents are available here.
Call for Presenters: Watershed Congress 2016
The Watershed Congress Organizing Committee is now accepting proposals for presentations for the 2016 Watershed Congress.
Submissions are due by 11:59 PM, Sunday, November 1st, 2015.
All applications must be submitted online.
Additional guidance for those interested in submitting a session proposal, with proposal format information, is available here.
About the Watershed Congress: The Watershed Congress, held annually since 1998, continues to advance the best available information and techniques for protecting and restoring watersheds. The focus on networking across disciplines means that the Congress melds science, policy and practical applications into one program. Every year, a growing and changing group of individuals attends to gain new knowledge, acquire tools, and practice techniques that will allow them to take active roles in the stewardship of their natural resources.
Volunteer Opportunity: Tree Planting in White’s Road Park
Sign up to plant trees with us! We will be planting along a branch of the Towamencin Creek in Lansdale Borough’s White’s Road Park on October 24, from 9am-12pm. 
Watershed Specialist, Krista Scheirer, will demonstrate how to properly plant a tree. Then, we will plant 130 native trees and shrubs to help restore the riparian buffer, which will protect the stream channel and water quality for years to come.
This restoration project was made possible by the TreeVitalize Watersheds Grant program, and the Plant One Million campaign, managed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener program, as well as Aqua PA for projects located within its source water protection zones.