For much of 2006, the hydrologic conditions maintained fairly stable levels near historic averages. While the general pattern for the year was steady, there were dips and spikes in conditions throughout the year. A drier than average spring was followed by heavy rains in June; four weeks of near drought in August were followed by steady rainfall throughout the fall. Finally, unusually warm and dry conditions in December resulted in declining ground water conditions and stream flows.

In April 2006, the Valley Forge Chapter of Trout Unlimited led a group of volunteers and East Whiteland Township staff to transform a standard mowed stormwater basin into a highly vegetated basin that will help improve water quality of stormwater entering Valley Creek. The improvements to water quality are a result of filtering the runoff through the vegetation, modest infiltration through the soil to ground water and use of the soil moisture for tree and shrub growth.

Chester County experienced a wide range of hydrological conditions with drought conditions in April and May followed by flooding events in June. Each of the first three months of the year experienced deficits in monthly rainfall amounts along with declining stream flows. It was, therefore, no surprise when Governor Rendell declared a drought watch on April 11, 2006. The precipitation for April and May of 3.6 and 2.0 inches, respectively, (as reported by the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center, (MARFC), resulted in a deficit of 0.2 inches in April and 2.2 inches in May. Drought conditions continued to worsen through June, until the rains and flooding occurred from June 23 to June 28.

On April 11, 2006, PADEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty placed all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties under a drought watch and called on residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 5 percent. A drought watch is the lowest of three levels of drought status, and the focus during a drought watch is on continued monitoring, awareness and preparation for response if conditions worsen.

Based on the Chester County Volunteer Rainfall Observer Network data, Chester County received a total of 48.4 inches of precipitation in 2005. Although the total precipitation was at the historic average, the distribution over the year was far from uniform. The first four months of the year saw normal precipitation amounts with a 15.9-inch total for the period. The next five months saw precipitation deficits in May, June, August and September.

It seemed that the Villanova Urban Stormwater Partnership (VUSP) could look into the future when they scheduled the 2005 Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Symposium and Municipal Workshop for the second week in October. Just days before, eastern Pennsylvania was hit by one of the heaviest rainfall events in years, with over 8.8 inches of rainfall in Honey Brook Township, and 9.3 inches in Bethlehem, PA. The need to manage stormwater runoff, improve water quality, reduce impacts due to flooding and understand new regulatory programs was highlighted by numerous of examples from the preceding weekend.

When we think of water pollution in our streams we might think of trash, nutrients, excessive silt and sediment, heavy metals or oil and grease. The one pollutant we may not think about is the temperature of our streams. Temperature is a critical water quality and environmental parameter because it plays an important role in the health of our streams and rivers. Temperature is important because it governs the kinds of aquatic life that can live in a stream.

The increasing need to balance the availability of water resources to meet the water demands of both society as well as those of the Commonwealth's bountiful natural resources led the Pennsylvania legislature to enact Act 220 (2002), directing that a new Statewide Water Plan be prepared by 2008.

In December 2004, the Chester County Board of Commissioners adopted the Chester County Hazard Mitigation Plan, which provides a framework for saving lives, protecting community assets, and preserving the economic viability of the County during natural hazards. Copies of the plan were provided to each municipality earlier in May 2005 by the Chester County Department of Emergency Services.

March 2005
Stormwater Management - Protecting People, Property and Resources

The year 2004 may not have been one for the record books like 2003, but Chester County did experience another year of plentiful rainfall. The total average precipitation for 2004 was 60.1 inches. While the rainfall was over 6 inches less than 2003, the surplus of 15.4 inches above the National Weather Service 30-year normal makes 2004 the third wettest year since 1980.