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Sestak Announces Groundbreaking Watershed Project to Prevent Flooding in PA

Congressman Sestak (PA-07) announces the first of its kind watershed agreement between the federal government and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania using funds Congressman Sestak secured and additional funding from the Economic Stimulus. Under the agreement, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will partner with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) to develop preliminary designs for prioritized projects for the watersheds in southeastern Pennsylvania in parts of Delaware, Chester and Montgomery Counties (a complete list of affected watersheds is below). According to the scope of work, "[t]he preliminary designs will focus on improving and protecting surface water resources and environmental infrastructure."

"We cannot fix regional flooding and watershed problems, such as need for ecological restoration and erosion, solely with band-aid solutions that each only deals with concerns of a small community," said Congressman Sestak. "Repairs made in one part of our region do not necessarily take into account the impact on other communities and watersheds. The most effective way to proceed is a long-term approach that begins with a reconnaissance study, which has just been approved, and involves the many local watershed groups and individuals that are knowledgeable about this issue."

With both USACE and the Commonwealth signing off on the project, the USACE will finalize contract work and commence with the first phase. According to the scope of work, "[t]he first phase of the project involves identifying and coordinating with key stakeholders, conducting public outreach and prioritizing stakeholder identified issues. The phase will also provide necessary input to refine targeted design locations, project schedule and cost estimates for the remaining four phases."

Once the design work is completed, work will begin on efforts to deal with flooding and pollution, such as stream bank restoration, sediment removal, and improving sewer and stormwater systems.

Approval of this project is the result of more than three years working to find the best way to mitigate flood damage in the region and address other watershed issues. Shortly after taking office, Congressman Sestak toured various parts of the Pennsylvania 7th Congressional District viewing past flood damage, particularly from the devastating 2004 flood. He was also briefed on the need for ecological restoration and erosion problems in many of our watersheds. He began working with federal officials to find ways to address the watershed and flooding needs of the District. Meanwhile, the Congressman reached out to the various watershed groups to get their assessment and hosted a Watershed and Emergency Preparedness Summit in the summer of 2008, bringing together local, state, and federal officials along with interested constituents to talk about want improving watersheds and reducing the risk of flooding.

Initially, representatives from USACE explained a process by which individual projects are applied to, usually at the local level. When Congressman Sestak inquired about how one could go about a comprehensive approach to addressing the region's watershed needs, he was told such an approach had never been done before, at least in Pennsylvania, but that the USACE would be willing to work with him to try to make that happen. During the Watershed and Emergency Preparedness Summit, Congressman Sestak broached the idea with Pennsylvania officials and the response was favorable.

The Congressman was able to secure $120,000 in the Fiscal Year 2009 budget and additional funds were made available through the Economic Stimulus bill to help fund initial phases of this multi-year project. The House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee recently approved an additional $200,000 for the project in the Fiscal Year 2011 budget.

Congressman Sestak, with the assistance of State Representative Bryan Lentz, brought together representatives from USACE and PA DEP to make the Commonwealth a partner in the project.

The project will take place in Southeastern Pennsylvania involving 13 different watersheds within Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties. The project area encompasses 750 square miles and 156 Boroughs and Townships. The 13 different watersheds in the project include:

- Brandywine Creek - Chester Creek - Crum Creek - Darby Creek - Delaware River - East Branch Brandywine Creek - French Creek - Marcus Hook Creek - Naamans Creek - Perkiomen Creek - Ridley Creek - Schuylkill River - Skippack Creek

Born and raised in Delaware County, former 3-star Admiral Joe Sestak served in the Navy for 31 years and now serves as the Representative from the 7th District of Pennsylvania. He led a series of operational commands at sea, including Commander of an aircraft carrier battle group of 30 U.S. and allied ships with over 15,000 sailors and 100 aircraft that conducted operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. After 9/11, Joe was the first Director of "Deep Blue," the Navy's anti-terrorism unit that established strategic and operations policies for the "Global War on Terrorism." He served as President Clinton's Director for Defense Policy at the National Security Council in the White House, and holds a Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. According to the office of the House Historian, Joe is the highest-ranking former military officer ever elected to the U.S. Congress.