Improving Urban Ecology along the Delaware: Watersheds and Stormwater Quality

Improving Urban Ecology along the Delaware: Watersheds and Stormwater Quality. Washington Avenue Green. , A watershed is an area of land that drains into a body of water such as a creek or stream. Small creeks and streams come together to create larger streams and small rivers, which then empty into major rivers like the Delaware River., [Unreadable] rain drops would flow over grassy meadows and woodlands into small streams full of shad and other fish. As our cities grew, we piped and buried these streams or filled them in order to develop buildings, parking and roads. Now, instead of slowly soaking into the ground, rain runs over streets and sidewalks, collecting pollutants along the way. This polluted rainwater swiftly flows into large storm drain pipes that eventually empty into our rivers. , ,br> Recently, there has been a movement to restore the natural filtering and cleansing of rainwater by using raingardens [unreadable] to capture rain where it falls and allow it to slowly soak into the ground, rather than flowing into the Delaware River. This park showcases several of these innovative practices, including rain gardens, porous asphalt along the bike path, and native meadow and woodland plants where there was once concrete. These practices will reduce pollution in the Delaware River and also create habitat for birds, insects and other small wildlife.