Chester County's Comprehensive Water Resource Plan

Thoughtful, science-based planning for water resource management is critical for balancing what nature provides with what our communities need, both today and in the future. Chester County is pleased to release a draft of the new County-wide integrated water resources plan, Watersheds 2045, for public review and comment. 

The original Watersheds plan, released in 2002, guided two decades of work to protect and enhance streams, lakes, and groundwater. For more on the original plan, click here. The newly revised plan will continue that legacy, and will also serve as the County’s Rivers Conservation Plan and Act 167 Stormwater Management Plan. 

The public comment period will be open through November 17th, 2023. The plan, along with its appendices, can be accessed through the links below. 

• DRAFT Watersheds 2045 Plan
• DRAFT Appendix A: PA Act 167 Regulatory Requirements Crosswalk
• DRAFT Appendix B: Progress and Gaps Analysis since 2002
• DRAFT Appendix C: Water Budget and Pollutant Load Analyses Technical Documentation
• DRAFT Appendix D: 2020 vs. 2045 Water Budget and Pollutant Loading Data Summaries
• DRAFT Appendix E: Summary of WPAC, Public, and Stakeholder Involvement
• DRAFT Appendix F: Chester County 2022 County-wide Model Stormwater Ordinance

Public comments can be submitted through this web form, via email to [email protected], or by mail to:
Chester County Water Resources Authority
601 Westtown Road, Suite 260
West Chester, PA 19380

CCWRA has scheduled two upcoming public meetings to showcase the new draft plan, answer questions, and collect public input. Click the links below for more details and event registration.

• 10/17 at 6:00pm at the Chester County Public Safety Training Campus in Coatesville
  
• 10/24 at 6:00pm via Zoom

A recorded presentation will also be made available for those who aren't able to attend the informational sessions in real time. A formal public hearing on the draft plan is slated for November. 

Please email us at [email protected] if you have questions or difficulty accessing any of the draft materials.

Accomplishments since 2002

Significant progress has been made to protect and enhance Chester County's water resources since the first Watersheds plan was published in 2002. 

Streams, floodplains, wetlands, and riparian areas are better protected through improved municipal natural resources and stormwater management planning:

•  Over 90% of the County’s municipalities have adopted wetland and woodland protection ordinances and more than 60% have ordinances protecting riparian buffers
• More than 2,000 agricultural Best Management Practices and 730 acres of riparian buffer have been installed with assistance from the Chester County Conservation District
• More than 42,000 acres of open space have been protected since 2002 through Chester County’s Open Space Municipal Grant Programs
• The headwaters of French Creek and West Branch Crum Creek were successfully upgraded to Exceptional Value status.

Flood planning and preparedness efforts have expanded:

• 100% of Chester County municipalities with floodplains (which includes 72 out of the County’s 73 municipalities) have adopted floodplain protection standards
• Two regional flood control facilities in the Brandywine Creek watershed, Hibernia Dam and Beaver Creek Dam, were rehabilitated to comply with the latest PA DEP Dam Safety Standards
• Watershed stewardship education and engagement programs have expanded
• Penn State Extension established a Master Watershed Stewards Program in Chester County; participants in this program have volunteered over 6,000 hours completing projects and hosting educational events
• An average of 300-400 students participate in the annual Chester County Envirothon each year

Water-based recreation opportunities have increased:

• Two dams have been removed on the East Branch and the main stem of the Brandywine Creek to facilitate safe boating and angling opportunities
• Access points along the Brandywine Creek, Schuylkill River, and Octoraro Creek have been improved

For more information on specific subwatershed plans, click here. For specific subwatershed Act 167 Stormwater Management Plans, click here, or here for the County's updated Stormwater Management model ordinance.