A panel of regional experts will address the many issues relating to the Wissahickon watershed in Montgomery and Philadelphia counties on May 13, and will offer tangible ways for community members to engage in protecting the 64-square mile area.

Hosted by Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association, the meeting, “A Creek in Crisis: Time for Action,” will take place on May 13 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Arts Center Theater at Germantown Academy in Fort Washington and is open to the public. At 5:30, light refreshments will be served. Local organizations and businesses will also be exhibiting before the meeting.

This is a follow up to a 2012 town hall meeting which began a regional conversation about the current conditions in the Wissahickon Creek with respect to flooding, water chemistry and biology and the relationships between land use and watershed health.

The panel will include Mike Helbing, a staff attorney with PennFuture; Jeffrey Featherstone, director of the Center for Sustainable Communities and professor in the Department of Community and Regional Planning (CRP) at Temple University; Chris Crockett, deputy commissioner of planning and environmental services at the Philadelphia Water Department.  The program will be moderated by Patrick Starr, executive vice president of Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

“By bringing citizens together to learn more about the Wissahickon and its importance to the region, we hope to raise awareness about the creek as a valuable resource,” said Maura McCarthy, executive director of Friends of the Wissahickon.

”When you educate municipalities and citizens alike on the issues facing the water quality of the Wissahickon Creek and get everyone on the same page, all of our collective actions can make a positive impact and move the needle on improving water quality,” said Dennis Miranda, executive director of the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association.

More information on registration will be posted on the Friends of the Wissahickon website.

2/16/2015