Plum Run 1
Plum Run 2
Plum Run 3

Background:

Plum Run is a 3.5 square mile watershed encompassing five municipalities and characterized by urban development in the headwaters (West Chester Borough and West Chester University), suburban development in much of the remaining area, and open space development (Radley Run Golf Course) at the bottom. The stream is impaired by stormwater runoff from impervious areas, which results in streambank erosion, sedimentation, and the addition of nutrients, herbicides, salts and fertilizers. Additional sources of impairment are discharges from a small sewage treatment plant and runoff form the golf course. Plum Run has a TMDL for sediment and nutrients.

The Plum Run Watershed has been a focus of BRC since 2007 when BRC developed a comprehensive watershed restoration plan.   In 2014 the Plum Run Watershed was included as a focus area for the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, Brandywine-Christina Cluster funded by the William Penn Foundation.

Activity:

    • Danielle DiFrederico, student at West Chester University, identified water quality impairments in Plum Run study as part of her Master’s Thesis
    • PADEP Growing Greener grant funded a comprehensive restoration plan in 2007
    • RETTEW completed the Restoration Plan for Plum Run Watershed in 2008
    • BRC completed 8 projects between 2010-2021 with:
      • 9,674 linear feet (1.8 miles) of stream restored
      • Partnered with 14 property owners
      • Over 3,000 trees and shrubs planted
      • Over $2 million invested in water quality improvements thanks to our funders
    • BRC is currently working with its partners to reduce the impacts of stormwater run-off from the Plum Run headwaters

Partners:

  • Brandywine Conservancy
  • Chester County Conservation District
  • East Bradford Township
  • Stroud Water Research Center

Funders:

  • Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Commonwealth Financing Authority
  • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
  • PADEP Growing Greener
  • William Penn Foundation
  • TreeVitalize

Restoration Information: