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DRBC Staff Participate in Schuylkill River Restoration Fund Awards Ceremony

DRBC staff participated in the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund (SRRF) awards ceremony on September 26, 2013. The ceremony took place at the East Norriton Middle School Campus in Norristown, Pa., which is the site of the Stony Creek Restoration Project, a 2011 SRRF grant recipient.

In 2013, a total of $358,821 from the SRRF was distributed to support seven projects and three land transaction grants, all of which will improve the water quality in the Schuylkill River, a source of drinking water for 1.5 million people, and its tributaries. The funded projects will mitigate stormwater runoff, abandoned mine drainage, and agricultural pollution, while the land transaction grants will assist with costs associated with permanent protection of priority watershed parcels.

Contributors to the SRRF in 2013 included Aqua PA, Exelon Corporation, and the Philadelphia Water Department. The fund is administrated by the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area. Since the fund was initiated eight years ago, more than $2 million dollars has been awarded to over 30 projects in the Schuylkill watershed.

For additional information on the creation of the SRRF, how it's managed, and its contributors, please click here.
Over 50 poeple attended the 2013 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC.Schuylkill River Heritage Area Executive Director Kurt Zwikl welcomes the crowd gathered for the 2013 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC. DRBC Water Resources Branch Manager Bill Muszynski addesses the crowd gathered for the 2013 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC.Exelon Limerick Generating Station's Chris Gerdes addresses the crowd gathered for the 2013 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC.Philadelphia Water Department's Kelly Anderson addresses the crowd gathered for the 2013 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC.An East Norriton Middle School student addresses the crowd gathered for the 2013 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC. Pa. State Representative Matthew Bradford (D-70) addresses the crowd gathered for the 2013 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC.
A poster depicts the completed Stony Creek Restoration Project at East Norriton Middle School, a 2011 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund (SRRF) grant recipient and site of the 2013 SRRF awards ceremony. Photo by DRBC.Montgomery County Conservation District Watershed Specialist Susan Harris leads a tour of the completed Stony Creek Restoration Project on the grounds of the East Norriton Middle School. Photo by DRBC.Trees (over 200 total!) were planted and a riparian buffer of native grasses was created as part of the Stony Creek Restoration Project, a 2011 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grant recipient. Photo by DRBC.A rain garden to filter stormwater runoff before discharging to the Stony Creek was built thanks to 2011 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grant monies. Photo by DRBC.Rip rap (large stone) was added to reinforce this streambank and minimize erosion as part of the Stony Creek Restoration Project, a 2011 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grant recipient. Photo by DRBC.A rip rap swale was created to help reduce erosion and minimize the force of stormwater flows as part of the Stony Creek Restoration Project, a 2011 Schuylkill River Restoration Fund grant recipient. Photo by DRBC.