Update:
A resounding “thank you” to my partners for the execution of the Perkiomen Mapping and Flood Mitigation Plan, which is complete and will be posted soon on the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy website at www.perkiomenwatershed.org/perkiomen-flood-study.
The Plan is the culmination of 18 months of intense engineering work to determine not just where flooding occurs throughout the Perkiomen Creek watershed but what mitigation strategies would be helpful in slowing the flow of stormwater, infiltrating more stormwater back into our groundwater, and identifying how municipalities can work together to further these regional goals.
Flooding has been occurring throughout the Perkiomen Creek watershed for many years. Historic villages and millworks developed along the Perky and its tributaries since colonial times expanded into larger suburban communities, and the current population of the watershed is estimated to be around 85,000 people. The Perkiomen Creek watershed is also blessed with rich farmlands and extensive open spaces, rugged hills and natural areas that are home to endangered and threatened plants and animals.
Protecting our communities and landscapes from devastating floods, like Hurricane Ida in 2021, will require all of us to do our part. The Perkiomen Mapping & Flood Mitigation Plan shares actions that can be taken by large or small property owners individually, as well as outlining how communities can work together to reduce flood levels, enhance our groundwater supplies, and protect our built communities as the threat of severe storms continues in the future.
For communities in my district, cooperation with upstream neighbors will be critical. But we can each take greater care of the stormwater that falls on our properties locally. By installing rain gardens and converting mown grass areas to meadows, we can all do our part to help protect water quality and reduce flooding. Check out these ideas and more at www.perkiomenwatershed.org/homeowner-resources.