CLICK ON THE ABOVE MAP FOR A LARGER VIEW… Northern Chester County, Pennsylvania is an area of hills and valleys geologically situated at the top of the Virginia Piedmont region. It is broadly bounded by the Allegheny Group of the Appalachian Mountains far to the west and the New Jersey coastal area far to the east—two factors that contribute significantly to the local climate—often experienced as gray winter periods and near-tropical summers. The southern part of the county borders the Mason-Dixon line at the Pennsylvania– Maryland border. The county’s northeast border is the Schuylkill River. The Schuylkill begins in the Pennsylvania coal regions and flows to the Delaware River at Philadelphia. To the west are Lancaster and Berks Counties. To the east is Valley Forge National Historical Park, Delaware County and then Philadelphia. Across the Schuylkill River lies Montgomery County. The area is rich in historical significance, especially in respect to the Revolutionary War, and is well-known for beautiful, sweeping countryside. Five major streams form the watersheds of northern Chester County. The largest of these streams is French Creek. The others include Pickering Creek, Valley Creek, Pigeon Creek, and Stony Run. Of less significance is a series of small stormwater runoff streams at the very northern end of the area referred to collectively as “Direct Schuylkill Drainage.” In all, Green Valleys watersheds cover an area of 151 square miles. The watershed streams provide a major habitat for aquatic and amphibious life and are generally considered a fly-fisher’s paradise. A cornerstone of the Green Valleys Associations’ mission is to protect this environment in both its water and landscape forms. The necessity for this is increasing at an alarming rate as the Philadelphia metropolitan area presses outwardly into the region. In spite of this expansion, the watershed streams within the protection of Green Valleys are all afforded Special Protection by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania—a distinction worth preserving.

WATERSHEDS CONTINUED…