HealthyFrog.org

Save your stream even if you can't see it!

Encourage Good Municipality Planning

• The Municipality must abide by its comprehensive plan and its ordinances.
• A comprehensive plan sets forth the goals and objectives of the municipality.
• Ordinances are laws for enforcing the goals and objectives.
• The State requires the Municipality to follow the PA Municipalities Planning Code, which establishes the basic framework for community development.
• All developers must also abide by the municipality ordinances.
• As a citizen you have a right/duty to examine these documents.
• You should also attend township meetings and express your viewpoint on protecting your streams and watersheds.

How to Keep Your Stream Healthy

• Don’t mow your lawn to the stream bank.
• Plant native trees, shrubs and grasses on the stream bank.
• Create a buffer zone of native vegetation.
• Avoid using chemical fertilizer, pesticides, or herbicides on the lawn
• Use compost or natural fertilizers (but not on the stream bank)
• Control storm water drainage to prevent the steam bank from eroding.
• Rechannel downspout drainage into garden areas.
• Use rain barrels below downspout to collect water.
• Plant roof gardens on commercial buildings.
• Require concave planting islands in parking lots.
• Keep wastewater out of streams.
• Encourage ground infiltration.

How Do You Know That It Needs SAVING ?????

What is an unhealthy stream:

• Lack of healthy aquatic life
• Signs of trash and other pollution
• Eroding stream banks
• Sediment blocking water flow
• Deep stream course, lack of wetlands and protected floodplain
• Lack of trees to cool water and provide litter to feed water life (for water life)

WHO Should Save Your Streams?

• Government
• Developers
• Homeowners
• YOU

WHY Save Your Streams?

• In order to protect drinking water and the ecology
• In order to prevent pollution, flooding and erosion
• In order to provide scenic value and recreation

You have a right to get the assistance of the following government and conservation organizations:

• Local Municipality Supervisors, Planning Commission, Environmental Action Commission (Council), and Municipality Manager
• Local Watershed Association
• County Planning Commission www.chesco.org/planning
• County Conservation District Office www.chesco.org/conservation
• County Water Resources Authority www.chesco.org/water
• PA Dept. of Environmental Protection www.depweb.state.pa.us/dep/site
• PA Environmental Council Association
  www.pecpa.org
• PA Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources www.dcnr.state.pa.us
• PA Fish and Boat Commission www.fish.state.pa.us
• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers www.usace.army.mil
• U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service www.fws.gov
• U. S. Geological Survey Office www.usgs.gov