By: Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program

For the Watershed Program, it has felt like the September that never ends. A warm, dry autumn has made for great foliage, but there are growing concerns about the impact of a fall with no rain. Fall of 2024 has been notably dry, with Philadelphia having the longest dry period since weather record-keeping began 153 years ago – an unbelievable 42 days with no rain. For the first time in the region, there was no rain in October, and temperatures were unseasonably warm, which can cause more water to leave the soil. While the dry period ended with rain on November 8, Chester County is still facing drought conditions expected to persist throughout the month of November. 

With this record-breaking dry spell, what is the impact on local streams?

Unsurprisingly, the lack of rain has a significant impact on the health of local waterways. As rain continues to be elusive in the region, the amount of flowing water in many waterways continues to drop causing physical changes to stream habitat. Low flow conditions can cause dramatic changes to resource availability. The resulting changes to the flow patterns and currents can cause sections of normally flowing streams to become isolated and turn into pools, trapping wildlife in stagnant water. Decreased water levels also means that there is just less space for wildlife in the stream, causing crowding and more competition for fewer resources. In some cases, small streams can dry up entirely. This dramatic loss of habitat has been documented at one site in the Darby Creek Watershed already during this historic drought. 

Droughts also cause changes in water chemistry. With flow patterns changing, the availability of oxygen can be reduced, with slow-moving water failing to distribute dissolved oxygen at levels to support sensitive stream life. This can create life threatening conditions for sensitive stream life. Changes in flow also influence chloride levels. While some chloride is present in the geology of Chester and Delaware Counties, the majority of chloride is introduced into local watersheds through the application of road salts (usually sodium chloride, NaCl) to melt snow and ice in the winter. As the snow and ice melt, the salt flushes into local waterways. In areas where salt is applied frequently and in abundance, the chloride can build up in the soils, leading to salty groundwater and high levels of chloride year round – instead of just after winter storms.  Chloride, including that from road salt, is known to be harmful to sensitive fish and invertebrates in freshwater systems.When salt buildup in soils meets drought conditions, it leads to salty streams. Less rainfall, (or in the case of October 2024 no rainfall), leads to little to no dilution of groundwater entering the stream, increasing the concentration of chloride in local waterways. When these dry conditions are paired with unseasonably warm temperatures (Fig. 1), it is a recipe for rapid evaporation of surface waters (Fig. 2). Evaporation leaves chloride behind, causing even higher concentrations of chloride ions.  During a severe drought, stream systems are almost entirely fed by groundwater, which means the potential for higher concentrations of chloride ions.

Salty streams become extremely dangerous for sensitive aquatic life as temperatures rise, with both chloride and warm streams causing stressful conditions for stream residents. With unseasonably warm days still to come in November and no rain in the forecast, there is likely to be a long-term impact on the health of local streams. Warm air temperatures also mean less oxygen available in the water, increasing the risk factor for aquatic life.

While the drought is not necessarily caused exclusively by climate change, it is being made more severe by the warm temperatures, especially in the fall months of September and October. Models predict that these months will continue to warm at a faster rate than the rest of the year and rainfall events will be extreme, with more rain falling in shorter periods of time. The Watershed Team monitors water temperature, conductivity, and chloride levels at ten sites across Ridley, Crum, and Darby Creeks as well as an additional 34 sites throughout the Darby and Cobbs watershed through the Darby & Cobbs Creek Community Science Monitoring Program on a monthly basis. As data analysis takes place, we will share updates on what we are learning and how you can help stream health.

By: Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program

From October 17 through October 20, 400 trees were planted in the Darby Creek watershed. This project is possible through a generous grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The funding, provided through DCNR’s Community Conservation Partnerships Program, enabled the installation of 400 trees and shrubs at Inveraray HOA in Villanova (Radnor Township) over four days. Over 50 volunteers joined Watershed and Stewardship staff to plant 39 species of native trees and shrubs across two acres of land along Abrahams Run, a tributary to the Darby Creek.

This planting effort engaged with new volunteers and a new community – who were all interested in learning more about the importance of healthy waterways and the impact of the restoration of the riparian area. It was a very exciting opportunity to share more about the vibrant life that calls Darby Creek home and to celebrate the newly documented population of freshwater mussels that live nearby!

The impact of these native trees and shrubs on the watershed will be multifaceted. The diverse array of species will provide an immediate visual interest in the landscape, with new colors and textures arriving with each season. For many of these plants, the flowers will turn to fruit in the fall, providing critical food for migratory birds and the falling leaves will provide shelter and nourishment for the life in the stream over the winter months. Each plant will also provide wildlife habitat from the canopy to the roots, giving the banks of Abrahams Run structure and stability against future storms.

By: Eliza Gowen, Community Farm Outreach Coordinator

Those of you who’ve attended certain WCT events this Fall may have noticed (or tasted!) the fresh apple cider from Ohana Farm. Ohana Farm began in 2015 when Amanda and Conrad Radcliffe bought the farm with visions of a place to support their son with autism and saw it as a solution for him as he approached adulthood. They felt that life on a farm would help him thrive. The Radcliffe family appreciated the old apple trees on the property and wanted to parlay those trees into something good. They decided to grow their orchard and use it as a place for neurodiverse children to build confidence and to use their skills in all aspects of small-batch Apple Cider and Apple Butter production.

For now, Ohana Farm has been selling their cider to the Eagles Novacare complex where they provide it for some of the suites at home games as well as to friends and family. Each year they continue to grow and next year they hope to expand their sales hopefully from a vintage trailer that Amanda has her eye on. 

Amanda is grateful to so many who have helped make this all possible. “None of this would be possible without a whole lot of help, input, and advice from folks in our community.  Most of all the Eagles Autism Foundation with their amazing support, and regular orders!  Shreiner Tree Service helps keep our orchard healthy, STK property management helps weed whack regularly under 60 apple trees, Jonathan Alderson Landscape Design and Cotswold Gardens helped us move 30 trees last year and enclose them in a deer fence to protect our harvest, the late great George Spellman, John Milner who helped us execute our dream for our farm, Conrad (my hubby) who spends his life on our mower and in our tractor, and countless support from friends and family who help with the harvest and volunteer with our school groups.”The Radcliffes have generously donated over 25 gallons of cider this fall to WCT and we are grateful for their generosity and kindness. We look forward to partnering with them for future events. To learn more about Ohana Farm you can visit their website using the button below and add your name to their email list to receive updates about this wonderful farm as they continue to grow.

By: John Holback, Stewardship Manager

One of our recent initiatives at Willistown Conservation Trust was the establishment of a small native plant nursery, designed to support our restoration projects and promote local biodiversity. Having our own nursery allows us to preserve the genetic diversity of local native plants through seed collection and propagation while saving a little money from purchasing plants (a small, yet significant benefit). Additionally, the nursery provides new and fun tasks for volunteers, who helped tremendously with construction, maintenance, and eventual planting. Being able to see the whole cycle – harvesting and sowing seeds, watching them sprout, caring for the plants, and finally planting them – is quite a rewarding experience for volunteers and staff alike. “Running” a nursery also served as a learning opportunity for staff who had to decide what plants to grow, how to grow them, how to propagate collected seeds, and how to deal with the impacts of environmental stressors like pests and drought.

This past winter, several volunteers came out to help construct our nursery tables with lumber that Beatty Lumber & Millwork Company generously donated. Four tables were built to accommodate about 3,000 small plugs (narrow but deep cone-shaped tubes allowing herbaceous plant root growth) and 600 small trees and shrubs. In late April two groups of students – one from Delaware County Friends School and one from The Episcopal Academy – came out to help fill the individual plugs and tree containers with potting mix, which they mixed by hand with sand for better drainage and root development. In May, staff planted each of the 3,000 plugs with native grass and forb seeds. Several species were planted including Indiangrass, Little blue-stem, Butterfly Weed, and Buttonbush. Between June and July, we had 2,500 seeds germinate into vigorous seedlings.

By August, the heat and dry weather began roasting the still small and vulnerable plants. It became difficult to keep up an effective watering schedule and some of the seedlings did not survive. A shade cloth was installed halfway through the summer to keep further sun damage to a minimum. Thankfully, the seedlings didn’t have long to wait, as September was our target planting month. Throughout several volunteer events, 1,500 seedlings were planted and watered in. The hard, dry ground made digging very difficult so a variety of hole-digging methods were tested. What worked best was using a small auger on a corded drill to dig the 2” wide holes necessary for the plugs. All of the grass seedlings were planted in Kirkwood Preserve and many of the perennial flowers were planted at the Rushton Conservation Center and in the meadow at our main office. 

In October, we collected acorns, viburnum fruits, persimmons, and buckeyes to grow in the tree containers. A previous group of volunteers from the Young Men’s Service League, collected and planted close to a hundred White Oak acorns which will germinate and grow outdoors this winter and be planted next fall. Once the rest of the tree containers are planted, we can put the nursery to sleep for the winter. In the early spring, we will repeat the process, making changes where necessary, in anticipation of another successful and fun year of growing our own native plants.

By John Holback, Stewardship Manager

In early 2024, Willistown Conservation Trust purchased a 90-acre parcel of land between Plumsock Road and Providence Road – the soon to open, Kestrel Hill Preserve. Mostly open rolling hills, the land had been a passively managed wildland with the exception of 25 acres of agricultural fields. The empty, mostly weed free agricultural fields offered the unique opportunity for WCT to convert the land to a more ecologically valuable resource and with minimal effort.

Historically, open spaces in our region were created and maintained by fire, caused either by lighting, or by indigenous peoples who used fire to manage the land.Before that, megafauna like mammoths, ground sloths, and others cleared the landscape through their activities. Nowadays, most grasslands and meadows have an agricultural past and are usually dominated by non native, cool-season grasses that were planted and used for animal fodder. Without regular disturbance (fire, mowing) these grasslands quickly fill in with woody cover (trees, shrubs) and no longer serve the species that have adapted to rely on them. And without active management, for example, establishing native grassland plants and removing non-native ones, they will remain relatively low-quality ecosystems, dominated by non-native grasses.

Establishing a native grassland usually starts with removing undesirable plant species and then planting desirable ones. Modern no-till-drills, a type of agricultural equipment, allow land managers to plant lots of seed over large areas quickly and with minimal soil disturbance. Planting this way ensures the seeds have good soil contact, minimizes erosion, and hides the seed from hungry birds and small mammals. Since the agricultural fields at Kestrel Hill were already free of plants, WCT opted to rent a no-till-drill to seed the two former agricultural fields.

Two different seed mixes were planted: one contained native grasses and forbs (flowering plants;) the other included native grasses and a cover crop of oats. The cover crop’s purpose is to hold the soil in place, help prevent establishment of undesirable plants, and provide cover for the native seedlings. The 10-acre field adjacent to Providence Road features three native grasses and 24 different forbs while the 15-acre field adjacent to Plumsock Road features four native grasses. Over the next few years, both areas will require regular mowing and spot treatments to prevent undesirable plants from establishing, while allowing the native plants to get established and begin spreading.

Establishing grasslands does more than simply aid displaced plant and animal species. Grasslands sequester large amounts of carbon, helping to cool a rapidly warming planet. They build soil health, and absorb excess stormwater. Healthy grasslands require little maintenance – only annual mowing or burning every few years, and some small spot treatments for non-native weeds. Soon visitors will be able to enjoy the recreational offerings of WCT’s new grassland preserve. Hiking and equestrian trails and scenic vistas will improve as the native plants grow and thrive.