Chester Ridley Crum Watersheds Association (CRC) was established in 1970 by a group of local citizens concerned about the impacts of increasing urban and suburban development on the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creek watersheds. This area encompasses 132 square miles and 40 municipalities. For over 50 years CRC, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, has worked to directly address the fact that 95% of our area streams are categorized as impaired by the State of Pennsylvania – these streams that are the basis of our drinking water supply, our local biodiversity, and our areas for recreation and enjoyment. 

Through their volunteer-based stewardship programming, CRC takes a two-pronged approach to mitigate the effects of development on our local resources. Each year volunteers carry out the rigorous and productive tree program, planting and maintaining hundreds of trees along the Chester, Ridley, and Crum Creeks. The Annual Streams Cleanup brings out close to a thousand volunteers each Spring to dozens of sites throughout the watershed to clear trash and debris from the streams and streambanks.

Educational events and robust partnerships with local municipalities complement the stewardship programming, allowing CRC to respond to community needs and be an agent of positive change in our area.