Press Releases

Volunteers Complete Native Tree Planting at Lenape Park in Skippack

Lansdale, Pa.—Nov. 5, 2025–North Penn Water Authority (NPWA) and the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy (PWC) partnered on a project to help protect the Perkiomen Creek Watershed by creating a riparian buffer with the planting of 75 native trees. The tree planting took place on October 31 and November 1, with the help of volunteers from PWC, Skippack residents, and Lockheed Martin staff.

The location of the trees is at Skippack Township’s, Lenape Park, which in 2022 saw completed construction of a pavilion, bathrooms, and associated site improvements. North Penn Water Authority and PWC completed a rain garden at the site shortly after construction to not only add beauty to the area by attracting birds, butterflies, and wildlife, but will also collect rainwater and address drainage issues and prevent pollution and erosion into Perkiomen Creek.

The planting of the native trees will help to serve as a riparian buffer by removing contaminants and reducing run-off and erosion as the water eventually makes its way to the creek. The roots of the trees will also form a network that prevent soil from being washed away during heavy rains, which helps to improve water quality. “This is important,” NPWA Deputy Executive Director, Keith Hass, indicated “because the creeks and rivers are a vital source of our drinking water supply and anything we can do to protect the water quality in the watershed ultimately helps improve the water treatment processes.”

As part of its commitment to environmental stewardship and watershed education, NPWA is committed to educating the public on the importance of watershed protection, source water protection and water conservation. Partnering with the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy for projects of this nature helps NPWA take that commitment to the next level by implementing a means to filter rain water and storm water run-off.

(Keith Hass, Deputy Executive Director of North Penn Water Authority discusses the importance of source water protection and the benefits of the tree planting)

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About North Penn Water Authority

Established in 1965, North Penn Water Authority (NPWA) is a municipally owned, nonprofit Authority with a dedicated, professional workforce committed to providing the community with a safe, reliable, and economical water supply.  Water supplied to their customers comes from a surface water supply that is treated at the state of the art Forest Park Water Treatment Plant (FPWTP). To provide the highest quality water, the Authority has in place a main replacement program and performs annual flushing of its more than 595 miles of water main which serves more than 36,000 customers.  NPWA also owns and maintains all fire hydrants in the service area to ensure hydrants are in working order in case of fire emergencies. NPWA employees, many of whom are NPWA customers themselves, take pride in being able to provide this service to the community. For more information, please visit npwa.org or call 215-855-3617.

About Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy

The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy is dedicated to serving the people and communities of the Perkiomen Watershed.  Our goals are to conserve and protect land and water resources of our watershed through a commitment to and leadership in environmental education, watershed stewardship, and conservation programs.