As we travel through our communities, few of us think about the hidden world of streams and rivers that once flowed across the landscape. In the face of climate change and increased precipitation, real life has shown us that stormwater runoff and flooding have intensified. Centuries of piping, culverting and development have hidden the vast majority of waterways in urban areas. The impact of these factors can be devastating: communities are alienated from their streams and historic ecologies, habitats are degraded, and water quality is compromised. In this PSP session, participants will examine the changes made to our urban streams and hydrology over time. How to read a topographic map, identify watersheds, and #lookfortheriver – to empower community members to explore their own local landscapes – will be included in this program too.

Heather Fenyk, Ph.D.
Founder & President, Lower Raritan Watershed Partnership