Watershed Program

The ACCD Watershed Program provides technical assistance to stakeholders to improve and protect Allegheny County’s water resources. 

Pennsylvania is home to over 80,000 miles of streams and rivers, second only to Alaska in the number of stream miles by state. The Department of Environmental Protection’s Integrated Water Quality Report found that 33 percent of those streams have been negatively impacted by human settlement and industrialization.  

In Allegheny County, many streams are damaged by pollutants from erosion and sedimentation, stormwater runoff and abandoned mine drainage. These pollutants impact our day-to-day lives, such as increased drinking water costs, decreased property values, and loss of property and agricultural lands. 

• ACCD implements watershed projects that reduce nonpoint source pollution in streams and rivers such as abandoned mine remediation, streamside tree plantings and green infrastructure installation. 
• ACCD fosters watershed conservation through educational programming and printed materials. 
• ACCD develops and utilizes watershed plans to strategically restore and protect our local streams and communities. 

In the last decade, ACCD has improved the natural resources of the county by: 

• Planting 4,000 trees planted across 22 acres in 8 watersheds
• Stabilizing 8,200 feet of streambank
• Engaging 750 volunteers to install Best Management Practices (BMPs)