Watershed Facts

Facts about the Upper Perkiomen Watershed

The Upper Perkiomen Watershed encompasses 144 square miles of land within four (4) counties: Montgomery, Berks, Lehigh and Bucks; eighteen (18) townships; and six (7) boroughs. (Municipal populations and land area).

Major tributaries of the Upper Perkiomen Watershed include:

· The West Branch of the Perkiomen (also known as Northwest Branch)

· Indian Creek

· Hosensack Creek

· Macoby Creek

· Unami Creek

· Ridge Valley Creek

· Deep Creek.

The waters of the Upper Perkiomen Watershed and all the tributaries except the Unami and Deep Creek drain into Green Lane Reservoir. The reservoir is an 829 acre man-made impoundment owned by Philadelphia Suburban Water Company (PSWC). Downstream of the reservoir is another dam which forms the 25 acre Knights Lake. Adjacent to Knights Lake is the 38 acre Deep Creek Lake also formed by a dam on Deep Creek. Montgomery County maintains a large regional park with the lands surrounding these lakes. The Unami Creek and Deep Creek both drain into the Perkiomen Creek downstream of the Green Lane Reservoir.

The Upper Perkiomen Watershed consists predominantly of gently rolling countryside with relatively undeveloped, non-impacted, forested land. In fact over 55% of the land cover is deciduous and evergreen forest or woody wetland areas. These forested areas are a unique natural treasure especially with the pressures of development beginning to impact the region. Nearly 35% of the remaining land cover is under agricultural use, generally as row crops or pasture lands.

Developed areas within the watershed account for approximately three percent of the watershed. Development is projected for this area in the coming future. Protection of the natural beauty of the region is a goal of the UPWC. Land use issues are crucial in the quality of the watershed.

P.O. Box 233

Palm, PA 18070-0233

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This page last updated May 10, 2006