Community Education

        Community education has been part of TCWA’s mission since our inception. Without understanding the full range of water-related issues we face, the associated problems and expenses we all share, the common sense solutions we could implement, and the methods to measure our success, residents of our watershed and local officials cannot make good decisions and choices.                                 

        Providing various means of learning more about the Turtle Creek watershed, TCWA offers programs for schools, scout troops, civic and fraternal organizations, churches, libraries, and businesses. We also sponsor events throughout the year that deliver good information in a social atmosphere – from our Annual Meeting (and dinner) in March, to the Fun Day Fishing Derby for children in the spring, to the Stormwater Forum in the fall.

        TCWA also partners with the Local Government Academy and the Inter-Municipal Environmental Forum to provide workshops and seminars to municipal officials, staff, solicitors, and engineers.

         Excess stormwater runoff is among the largest and most expensive water problems we have, and it is one where we all can make a contribution to solve. Recent federal and state regulations are forcing municipalities to address these complex non-point pollution problems, so there is a push to educate the general public. Taking the lead locally, the Heinz Endowments has sponsored much of our stormwater education program. We offer a wide variety of presentations related to these issues.

        Abandoned mine drainage is pervasive all across the Turtle Creek watershed. Generations of large and small scale mining activity created abandoned mines and spoil piles that are the source of low pH, sulfur, iron, aluminum, and occasionally magnesium pollution problems that contaminate drinking water sources and render our streams useless for recreation.

        Please see our Outreach section for more information.
                            TCWA Program Brochure - 2007

The design and implementation of this website has been made possible through assistance provided by the the Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (WPCAMR),  the Consortium for Scientific Assistance to Watersheds (C-SAW),  and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Growing Greener program.