Automated Discharge and Water Quality Measurements on a Developing Suburban Watershed: A Cooperative Effort Among Education, Government, and Environmental Advocacy

Bushkill Creek is a small tributary of the Delaware River, draining a 200- km² watershed and discharging to the river at the town of Easton, Pennsylvania. Land use on the upper half of the watershed is largely agricultural and sparse residential, but on the lower half is rapidly expanding suburban/commercial development. The watershed has been the focus of various water quality investigations over the past 30 years, including ongoing data collection by local high school and college students. Although its lower reach has a long history of industrial use, the creek supports a high quality trout fishery, and includes an environmental education center operated by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The Bushkill Stream Conservancy is also active in a variety of environmental concerns in the watershed. Local planning offices have conducted a coordinated stormwater runoff modeling study in compliance with the Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Act (SWMA), and the watershed is located in one of the few counties with a state-approved stormwater management plan.