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History
Brandywine Valley Association, the
first small watershed association in America, was incorporated
in August of 1945 in West Chester, Pennsylvania. The
incorporators included individuals from Wilmington, Delaware and
Chester County,
 Pennsylvania as well as corporate leaders
including the President of Lukens Steel Company. The
Association’s first office was in Wilmington, Delaware and in
1946 opened an office in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
Realizing that
the Brandywine Creek was in some places little more than open
sewer, BVA began to work toward improving water quality by
dealing with all the problems. In 1945 the problems included
lack of soil conservation practices, poor or little treatment at
municipal wastewater treatment plants, and poorly or untreated
discharges from industrial operations. To ensure that the
subsequent improvements made a difference in the stream, BVA
engaged scientists from the Academy of Natural Sciences to do
the first water quality testing in 1948. Dr. Ruth Patrick began
those studies which are the oldest continuous studies of any
stream in the world. In 1948 BVA worked with the Chester County
Commissioners to establish the Chester County Conservation
District. Very quickly conservation plans began to be installed
on many of the farms in the watershed with a noticeable
reduction in soil erosion and stream sedimentation. In 1949 BVA
began conservation workshops for teachers at West Chester State
College, the first invovlement in watershed education. In 1954
BVA worked with the newly formed Red Clay Valley Association to
develop the first landfill in the watershed in Newlin Township.
BVA’s interest
in water quantity was expressed through its work in the
Brandywine Watershed Flood Control and Water Supply Plan. BVA
initiated the planning work in 1955 and the plan was adopted in
1961. In that year BVA worked again with the Chester County
Commissioners to form the Chester County Water Resources
Authority which implemented the Brandywine Watershed Work Plan.
For the first ten years of its existence, BVA provided the
office and staff for the Water Resources Authority. As a result
of this plan five dams, four on the east branch and one on the
west branch, now provide flood protection for Coatesville and
Downingtown as well as a more dependable water supply for
Coatesville, Downingtown, West Chester and Wilmington.
The 1950’s
also saw the beginning of wastewater improvement projects by the
watershed’s corporate neighbors. Downingtown Paper Company on
the east branch and Lukens Steel on the west branch were early
contributors to water quality improvement by industry. In the
1970’s municipal treatment plants at Coatesville, Downingtown
and West Chester upgraded their systems to provide a cleaner
effluent. All of these water quality improvements began to show
up in stream quality test which, since 1979, have been conducted
on an annual basis by the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1972 BVA
pioneered the concept of land application with treated
wastewater effluent. This pioneering work has led to many more
examples of land application which has helped to improve surface
water quality and recharge ground water.
In 1981 BVA
moved from its offices in West Chester to the Myrick
Conservation Center in Pocopson Township. From this site BVA
conducts its watershed conservation programs as well as an
expanding watershed education program for local school districts
and the general public. In the 1980’s BVA helped to start the
early municipal recycling program as well as launching the first
summer camp in 1984. BVA’s summer camp has become a popular and
highly acclaimed week long watershed education program for the
school aged population.
In the 1990’s
BVA developed a ground water model which helps to determine
changes in ground water levels as a result of increasing
development. In the 21st century BVA continued to expand its
education programs to both school aged population as well as
local officials through the Local Issues Series and municipal
workshops. In 2006 BVA began the Red Streams Blue Program which
is the next step in improving surface water quality.
BVA’s 63 year
history of progress in conserving the valley’s resources has
resulted in a much cleaner Brandywine Creek and protection for
the valuable water resources. The education programs provide a
long term plan for assuring that improvements will continue.
BVA will continue to play an important role in the watershed and
its work will make a measurable difference in the water
resources.
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