A greener course ahead: The environmental restoration of Cobbs Creek

There’s no better time than Earth Day to take a few minutes to reflect on the historic land that The Cobbs Creek Foundation calls home. Time has not always been kind to this property, but we intend to rectify the negligence of its past in our course ahead.

Sitting on 350 acres of rolling green hills, waterways, and wetlands, Cobbs Creek is as beautiful as it is historic. The creek itself is a tributary of Darby Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River.

As the surrounding population grew over time, the land has been heavily impacted. There is currently around 4-8 feet of post-settlement sediment filling the channels to their current elevation. This excessive sediment, along with debris, have jammed the waterways, preventing fish passage and causing erosion.

This channel degradation has also caused excessive flooding, making it an environmental hazard that is unsafe for the surrounding communities.

Since it’s an important part of the Foundation’s mission to ensure that these lands are around for future Philadelphians to enjoy, we are taking the necessary steps to restore and preserve them.

Our plans, which include removing this sediment, would heal the waterways and protect the surrounding areas through the creation of 40 new acres of wetlands, 12,000 feet of restored stream channels, and the establishment of a floodplain protection plan. The sediment removed from the wetlands would then be used to aid in golf course modifications.

Tune in, as we make progress in the months and years to come, we’ll continue to update the friends of The Cobbs Creek Foundation, so you can help celebrate the restoration of this beautiful property alongside us!