Natural Lands Preserves Land Along White Clay Creek In Chester County

On January 13, Natural Lands announced the successful preservation of an eight-acre property in New Garden Township. The property, which the Township purchased outright, is located along the White Clay Creek and is key to a planned trail corridor leading to DCNR’s  White Clay Creek Preserve. 

“While it may seem like a small property, its conservation is quite significant,” said Oliver Bass, president of Natural Lands, the region’s oldest and largest land conservation organization. “This stretch of White Clay Creek has been a preservation priority for New Garden Township for quite some time. Natural Lands is thrilled to have helped facilitate this conservation success.”

Views of the newly protected property are dramatic, and an excellent example of what New Garden Township’s botanical survey called “Canyon Country of the White Clay Creek.” 

The Creek runs through conserved land at the bottom of a forested ravine. The steep slopes on either side of the Creek anchor the site, providing a sense of enclosure and privacy. 

In addition to providing for a future hiking trail, the property offers public fishing access along White Clay Creek. 

The State of Pennsylvania has designated the section of the Creek that runs through the property as a “Cold Water Fisheries,” an indication of its excellent water quality and habitat for trout and other native species. 

The Fish and Boat Commission stocks White Clay Creek with trout every spring.

The wooded property also serves as natural flood control. When large storms and heavy rainfall cause White Clay Creek to overflow its banks, the property floods and allows the water to be reabsorbed into the ground slowly, reducing flooding of roadways and water pollution downstream. 

Natural Lands applied for and received additional funding from Chester County’s Preservation Partnership Program, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnership Program, Virginia Cretella Mars Foundation, and White Clay Wild & Scenic River program. 

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the Natural Lands website.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from Natural Lands and Like them on Facebook.  Click Here to support their activities.

Natural Lands has preserved more than 125,000 acres, including 43 nature preserves and one public garden totaling more than 23,000 acres.

[Posted: January 13, 2022]  PA Environment Digest