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An Interactive Tool for Restoring Plum Creek Watershed 

The Plum Creek Watershed faces several environmental challenges, from pollution to the impacts of stormwater runoff and abandoned mine drainage. To address these issues and foster meaningful restoration, ACCD developed a new interactive tool, the Plum Creek Watershed Plan StoryMap. This innovative resource combines education, data visualization, and actionable strategies to empower individuals, municipalities, and organizations to take informed steps toward improving the watershed.

What Is a Watershed?  

Everyone lives in a watershed, an area of land that drains to a common point, such as a stream. The components of a watershed, including landscape, water, plants, and animals, shape human interaction with nature.

Understanding a watershed involves learning the natural processes within its boundaries, and the StoryMap's data layers help by showing location-specific data. By assessing the entire watershed, this tool can be used to prioritize interventions and actions with the greatest impact.  

How to Access the Online Tool 

The Plum Creek Streamlined Watershed Plan Storymap navigates the user from education about watersheds and watershed plans to more specific layers dedicated to the Plum Creek Watershed. Each section includes text, images, maps, and interactive elements. Engage with these by zooming in on maps, clicking on features for detailed information, and exploring linked multimedia content to gain a comprehensive understanding of the watershed and potential impacts on surrounding communities.

Access Tool 



 

Challenges Facing Plum Creek Watershed: Pollution, Runoff, and Mine Drainage 

Plum Creek Watershed, encompassing 20.6 square miles of land area, spans portions of four municipalities in Allegheny County: Plum Borough, Oakmont Borough, Verona Borough, and the Municipality of Penn Hills.   

Many streams in Plum Creek Watershed are damaged by pollutants from erosion and sedimentation, stormwater runoff, and abandoned mine drainage, which impact daily life by increasing drinking water costs, decreasing property values, and causing land loss. 

• Stormwater Runoff: When rain or snow runs off hard surfaces like roads and parking lots, it picks up pollution and causes streambanks to wear away, leading to flooding in nearby areas.

• Abandoned Mine Drainage: The history of coal extraction has caused pollution in Montour Run Watershed. Leftover iron and aluminum from abandoned mines harm habitat, plants, and animals within the creek. 

How Watershed Planning Can Help 

The Plum Creek Streamlined Watershed Plan identifies areas to improve, protect, and preserve the watershed. It provides a framework to restore water quality in impaired streams and protect water quality in healthy streams.

Ways to address pollution and improve the watershed: 

• Green Infrastructure: Implement green infrastructure, such as rain gardens and permeable pavement, to manage stormwater runoff.

• Stabilized Streambanks: Plant native vegetation to prevent sediment from entering waterways. This helps address issues from past mining activities by treating acid mine drainage. 

• Community Engagement: Educate residents about reducing pollution and encourage their involvement in clean-up and tree planting activities. 

Get Involved

Watershed Residents

• Support local organizations: Get involved with local watershed groups and participate in their activities.

• Join clean-up events: Help keep our streams and waterways clean by participating in community clean-up efforts. 

• Plant native trees and plants: Use native landscaping to support local biodiversity.

• Maintain streamside plants: Avoid mowing close to streams to preserve natural buffers and prevent erosion.

Legislators

• Support grant funding: Provide letters of support for grant applications to secure necessary resources.

• Advocate for clean water legislation: Promote and support legislation and funding programs like Growing Greener and the Watershed Restoration & Protection Program. 

Municipalities & Watershed Partners

• Apply for funding: Seek grants and other financial resources to support watershed projects. 

• Partner with local stakeholders: Collaborate with watershed groups, land trusts, and other local organizations.

• Provide matching funds: Contribute financially to match grants and other funding sources.