PRC is very excited to announce that we are a recipient of a 2016 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence!
This award is presented to Pennsylvania projects that promote environmental stewardship and economic development and protect the Commonwealth’s land, air, water, and public health. The project was awarded for PRC’s Darby Creek Stormwater Inisitaive: Getting to the New Normal.
PRC is partnering with the Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative (EDCSC) on an innovative initiative to educate residents and stakeholders on stormwater best management practices through installation of demonstration projects in high visibility locations in heavily urbanized sections of the Darby and Cobbs Creeks watersheds in Delaware County. The goal is to cement the long-term shift in the maintenance of public and private properties with green stormwater management strategies.
PRC and EDCSC worked directly with local municipalities, watershed groups, local community groups, businesses and schools to locate areas within their boundaries where rain gardens would benefit water quality and serve as an educational tool. The two-part project first centered on educational training for local residents regarding stormwater pollution and solutions for addressing it, with a focus on how to size, build and maintain rain gardens. From this, a trained Rain Garden Resource Team was created to serve as a volunteer base to help implement the second part of the project; the creation of rain gardens on both private and public properties.
With the leadership and guidance of PRC and EDCSC and the support of the Rain Garden Resource Team and municipal public works crews, over 30 properties were evaluated for rain gardens in eight communities. Three large rain gardens were constructed on public property and ten rain gardens were installed on private property. The 13 rain gardens installed to date have resulted in a direct volume reduction of stormwater flows to the Darby and Cobbs Creek during all storm events, reducing the threat and impact of flooding. Four additional rain gardens are planned for installation on public property in 2016 and additional funding proposals have been submitted to continue this successful initiative in upcoming years.
