• What's New
• > 16th Annual CRC Streams Cleanup sites
• > Steps to Retrofitting your Basin

• Protecting Chester
• > Chester Creek Home
• > Protecting Chester Creek
• > Designated uses
• > Impaired Reaches
• > Sources of Pollution
• > Water Quality Monitoring
• > Dam Removals

• Recreation at Chester
• > Fishing Chester Creek
• > Hiking, Trails, and Preserves
• > Birding on Chester Creek

• CRC's Programs
• > Studies
• > Chester Creek Watershed
  Partnership
• > CRC Initiatives

Chester Creek is an attractive, winding, and often wooded stream accessible and utilized for many recreational opportunities.  Unfortunately, it is also significantly impacted by in stream discharges, paving over of natural areas, and excessive stormwater runoff , in particular from a largely built out upper watershed area.  

CRC’s programs protect and  restore the water resources of Chester Creek, and hence help preserve the quality of life it affords the residents who live in its area.  By supporting CRC, you are helping to safeguard this resource for your family, for your community, and for future generations.  

The East Branch of Chester Creek rises in East Whiteland and flows  24 miles to its confluence with the Delaware River in Chester City, Pennsylvania, near the park named for William Penn’s first landing. The West Branch of Chester Creek begins near Route 202 in Concord Township, and joins with the East Branch in Aston Township.  The watershed’s eastern boundary follows the Route 352 ridgeline; the boundary of the West Branch drainage basin follows Route 202.  

The 67 square mile drainage area encompasses twenty municipalities and is home to approximately 110,000 residents.

Chester Creek as a Drinking Water Source

Chester Creek supplies on average 1,830,000 gallons per day of public drinking water  ( Chester County Water Resources Authority, 2001) .  The public water intake is located in Middletown Township below the confluence with the West Branch.  The withdrawn water is pumped to Aqua Pennysylvania's Ridley Creek plant for treatment.  A small drinking water treatment plant , treating on average 630,000 gpd, is located on West Chester Reservoir, in the upper reaches of the East Branch in West Goshen Township.  An additional 502,000 gallons gallons per day of drinking water are withdrawn from wells in the Chester County portion of the watershed, and 30,000 gallons per day from the Delaware County portion.

Watersheds, an Integrated Water Resources Plan by the Chester County Water Resources Authority, as well as the Chester Creek Watershed Action Plan , discuss water balance issues and pollution sources in the Chester Creek Watershed.  To download a one page pdf of the Action Plan , click here.

Click on the links on the left to explore Chester Creek!