CHAPTER 11 Pennypack Creek Conservation Landscape

Natural Areas Inventory Update 2007 179

CHAPTER 11

Pennypack Creek Conservation Landscape

The Montgomery County portion of the Pennypack Creek Valley is the focus of this conservation landscape. Due to many years of work by the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust (PERT), most of the riparian corridor has been preserved providing important habitat for birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Several notable stands of old trees are also included in the landscape.

DescriptionLocationThe Pennypack Creek Conservation Landscape extends from Lorimer Park at the Philadelphia County line to the Norfolk and Southern railroad line that runs parallel to the Pennsylvania Turn-pike. Arms extend up several tributaries, and nodes occur where larger expanses of contiguous open land exist. The landscape contains 2,784 acres, including parts of Upper Moreland, Lower Moreland, and Abington Townships and the borough of Bryn Athyn (Figure 11.1). It is not con-tiguous with any of the other conservation landscapes described in this report.

HydrologyThe Pennypack Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River. The creek is tidal near its mouth, but the infl uence of the tide does not extend into Montgomery County. Montgomery County por-tions of the Pennypack are classifi ed as TSF MF (trout stocked fi shery, migratory fi shes).

Like many suburban streams, the Pennypack has become increasingly subject to severe fl ood-ing as the result of stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces. In 2001, fl ooding in Upper Moreland Township caused 6 deaths and hundreds of thousands of dollars in property damage. Researchers at Temple University have recently re-mapped fl oodplain boundar-ies in the Pennypack Creek watershed in order to better assess fl ood danger. The new maps, which have been adopt-ed by the Federal Emergency Manage-ment Agency, increased the fl oodplain area by 24 percent over the former fl oodplain maps.

The Bethayres Dam, formerly located just upstream from Rt. 63, was removed in December 2005. The Huntingdon Pike Dam, in Lorimer Park, is slated for removal in 2007. Three other dams of suffi cient height to impede fi sh passage remain downstream in the Philadelphia section of the Pennypack Creek.

Pennypack Creek

180 Natural Areas Inventory Update 2007

GeologyThe headwaters of the Pennypack Creek are in the Stockton Formation sandstones and siltstones of the Triassic Newark Basin. South of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the creek enters a band of older rocks including hornblende and granitic gneisses. After passing through a narrow lens of Conestoga limestone near the intersection of Routes 63 and 232, the creek cuts through a broad zone of Wissahickon schist before leaving the county near Rockledge Borough (Figure 11.2).

Forest Cover – The landscape is 48.2 percent forested. Of the 1,342.7 acres of forest, 565 acres qualify as forest interior applying a 50 m buffer from the nearest edge (Figure 11.3).

Critical FeaturesThe Pennypack Creek Conservation Landscape includes two high priority sites identifi ed in the 1995 Natural Areas Inventory: Frazier’s Bog and Bethayres Swamp. Other sites mentioned in the NAI report were Mason’s Mill Road Woods and Big Oak Woods in Lorimer Park. Frazier’s Bog, a coastal plain outlier described by noted botanist Witmer Stone and others, at one time supported at least 22 plant species classifi ed by the Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program; see discussion below.

During surveys for this project a previously unknown population of log fern (G4, S1, proposed PA endangered) was discovered along the Pennypack Creek. In addition, the continuous riparian corridor along the Pennypack Creek provides important habitat for birds such as Belted King-fi sher, Warbling Vireo, and Louisiana Waterthrush.

Past UsesAs many as 28 mills once drew their power from the Pennypack Creek in Upper and Lower Moreland Townships alone. The mills served an agricultural community that persisted until the early to mid-1900s.

Willow Grove was named for a large wetland dominated by willows; an early spa was estab-lished at nearby mineral springs. In 1896 Willow Grove Park, a large amusement park served by trolley lines, opened for business. It too, eventually yielded to changing life styles and the dominance of the automobile, and was replaced by a large shopping mall in1975.

Preservation Status and Other DesignationsMore than 1,000 acres of the Pennypack Creek Conservation Landscape has been protected. PERT which has been working to protect and restore lands along the Pennypack Creek since 1970, currently owns 653 acres and holds easements on 64 acres. Municipal parkland accounts for another 306 acres of protected land (Figure 11.4).

Montgomery County has proposed converting the suspended Fox Chase-Newtown SEPTA R-8 line to a trail, which would connect the PERT trail system with Lorimer Park and the lower sec-tion of the Pennypack Creek in Philadelphia.






Core AreasPennypack Ecological Restoration Trust (PERT)The Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust manages 726 acres in the Pennypack corridor stretching from Rt. 63 almost to Davisville Road. The trust’s goals are to “protect, restore, and preserve the lands of the central Pennypack Creek valley.”

PERT has established a trail along the west side of the Pennypack Creek from the parking area on Creek Road (off Terwood Road) to Davisville Road, a distance of about 3 miles. In addition a network of side trails traverses the area between Terwood and Byberry Roads.

Plant Diversity – A recently discovered population of log fern is the only PNHP-listed species currently known from the lands of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust.

Plant Communities – In the northern third of the Trust’s property, forested slopes along the Pennypack Creek have been described as typical mixed oak forest. Dominant species include American beech and chestnut oak with lesser amounts of black oak, red oak, white oak, and tuliptree. The shrub layer consists of blueberry, maple-leaf viburnum, and southern arrow-wood.

The southern two-thirds of the preserve has a more moist forest dominated by tuliptree and American beech. Associates include red oak, hickories, white ash, and European bird cherry. Flowering dogwood and blackgum are prominent in the understory and the shrub layer is dominated by spicebush, blackhaw, witch-hazel, downy arrowwood, southern arrowwood, and shadbush.

The fl oodplain forest along the creek is characterized by sycamore, silver maple, box-elder, and green ash with black walnut, red maple, white ash, and southern catalpa also prominent. In the spring wild blue phlox and Jacob’s-ladder are abundant.

Paper Mill Road Woods, a stand of 120 foot-tall, 80-90 year old tuliptrees and scattered American beech is part of a 61-acre property that the Trust acquired in December 2006. A knoll at the northern end of the site contains a small grove of red, white, and black oaks that are estimated to be about 200 years old. A population of log fern (suggested PA endangered) is present in seeps on the lower slopes. While this site contains an impressive collection of big trees, there is no understory other than a shrub layer dominated by spicebush, a plant that deer do not prefer. Periwinkle, which has spread from the

Forested slope at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust


adjacent cultivated landscape, covers the ground throughout except in the wettest areas at the base of the slope.

All of the forest communities at PERT are threatened by over browsing by deer. Canopy tree regeneration, understory structure, and herbaceous species diversity have all been affected.

Grasslands – Native warm season grasses have been established on 60 acres of former pasture on the Raytharn Farm property along Terwood Road. Eventually the trust plans to expand the grassland habitat to 160 acres. Species included in the planting are big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian-grass, switchgrass, and side-oats grama. The areas are mowed once in the early spring and woody invaders are spot-treated with herbicides to control Canada thistle and other invasive species.

As of March 2007, with the excep-tion of Red-wing Blackbirds, no breeding populations of grassland bird species have been detected, although visitors during migra-tion have included Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks according to David Robertson. This site may be too small and too isolated from other areas of similar habitat to support sustainable populations. See the introduction to this report for a more complete discussion of grassland birds and their habitat needs.

Reptiles and Amphibians – A survey of reptiles and amphibians of PERT was carried out by PERT staff and Marlin Corn in 2005 and 2006. Five species of frogs and toads, fi ve turtles, three salaman-ders and 4 four species of snake were identifi ed (Table 11.1). Red-belly turtle is the only PNHP-listed species found.

Restored grasslands along Terwood Road at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

Northern brown snake found at the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust, photo by Marlin Corn


Table 11.1 — Reptiles and Amphibians of thePennypack Ecological Restoration Trust

Salamanders

Redback salamander

Northern two-lined salamander

Spotted salamander

Frogs and Toads

Green frog

Bullfrog

American toad

Spring peeper

Pickerel frog

Turtles

Eastern painted turtle

Red-eared slider

Eastern box turtle

Redbelly turtle

Snapping turtle

Snakes

Eastern garter snake

Northern water snake

Northern brown snake

Northern ringneck snake

Birds – Data on breeding birds for 2004-2008 were obtained from the Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas for the block Hatboro 5 (82C35) centered on the lands of PERT. Seventy species were recorded as confi rmed or probable breeders (Table 11.2).


Table 11.2 — Breeding Birds of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust.

Confi rmed Breeders Red-eyed Vireo Swamp Sparrow

Canada Goose Bluejay Northern Cardinal

Mute Swan Tree Swallow Indigo Bunting

Wood Duck Northern Rough-winged Swallow Red-wing Blackbird

Mallard Barn Swallow Common Grackle

Wild Turkey Carolina Chickadee Brown-headed Cowbird

Coopers Hawk Tufted Titmouse Orchard Oriole

Red-tailed Hawk White-breasted Nuthatch Baltimore Oriole

Kestrel Carolina Wren House Finch

Killdeer House Wren Probable Breeders

Rock Pigeon Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Green Heron

Mourning Dove Eastern Bluebird Willow Flycatcher

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Veery White-eyed Vireo

Great horned Owl Wood Thrush American Crow

Chimney Swift American Robin Brown Thrasher

Ruby-throated Hummingbird Gray Catbird American Redstart

Belted Kingfi sher Northern Mockingbird Louisiana Waterthrush

Red-bellied Woodpecker European Starling Hooded Warbler

Downy Woodpecker Cedar Waxwing Possible Breeders

Hairy Woodpecker Yellow Warbler Ring-necked Pheasant

Northern Flicker Ovenbird Great Blue Heron

Eastern Wood Peewee Common Yellowthroat Turkey Vulture

Acadian Flycatcher Scarlet Tanager American Woodcock

Eastern Phoebe Eastern Towhee Black-billed Cuckoo

Great-crested Flycatcher Chipping Sparrow Eastern Screech Owl

Eastern Kingbird Field Sparrow Pileated Woodpecker

Warbling Vireo Song Sparrow Yellow-throated Vireo

Eastern Phoebe, photo by Howard Eskin


Deer Status – Deer overabundance is a continuing problem in the Pennypack Creek valley despite a hunting-oriented management program that has been conducted by PERT since 1984, and a culling program downstream in Philadelphia’s Pennypack Park since 2003. Browse lines, depleted herbaceous layers, and a lack of forest regeneration are all too evident in the forests of the Pennypack. Deer also exacerbate the invasive species problem by feeding selectively on na-tive species of plants.

Invasive Plants – Invasive plants are a major threat to the ecological integrity of remnant forests in southeastern Pennsylvania; the Pennypack Creek corridor is no exception. Species that have been particularly troublesome include multifl ora rose, Oriental bittersweet, fi ve-leaf akebia, por-celain-berry, Japanese honeysuckle, Siebold viburnum, garlic mustard, Japanese stiltgrass, lesser celandine, Japanese knotweed, and periwinkle. Staff at PERT have pioneered in developing techniques for controlling invasive species like porcelain-berry, and restoring native vegetation.

Other Protected Open SpaceMason’s Mill Park This 76-acre park along the Pennypack Creek in Upper Moreland Township includes active recreation facilities, picnic groves, and a 30-acre natural area with trails. This township park adjoins land owned by Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust.

Forest cover includes bottomland oak – mixed hardwood forest in the fl oodplain of the creek, successional red maple forest, and upland areas of mature red oak – mixed hardwood for-est. Areas of red maple mixed shrub palustrine woodland and bluejoint – reed canary grass marsh occur along the creek on the south side.

Lorimer Park Lorimer Park was Montgomery County’s fi rst park, a bequest from the late George Horace Lorimer. Located in Abington Township, it occupies 230 acres along the Pennypack Creek. The park includes “Council Rock,” a dramatic rock outcrop of Wissahickon schist, reputed to have been used by Native Americans.

A feature of the park is a stand of mature forest on slopes along the Pennypack Creek and several small tributary ra-vines. Referred to as “Big Oak Woods,” it was described as a site of local signifi cance in the 1995 Natural Areas Inventory. The woods contain numerous large specimens of black oak, red oak, white oak, tuliptree, and blackgum; the understory consists of spicebush, mountain laurel, and witch-hazel (Table 11.3).

Unfortunately, over browsing by deer is a factor at Lorimer Park, as it is elsewhere in Montgomery County. Few young trees are evident; only American beech seemed Measuring a large black oak at Lorimer Park


to be regenerating at all. But even beech shoots and spicebush, neither of which are preferred browse species, were being chewed down to less that a foot in height. With no young trees com-ing along to replace the aging specimens, the future of this magnifi cent forest is bleak.

Table 11.3 — Selected Big Trees at Lorimer Park

Type of Tree dbh Cm. dbh Inches

black oak 135.5 54.2

black oak 85.5 35.4

black oak 103.0 41.2

blackgum 82.4 32.9

blackgum 87.3 34.9

blackgum 79.4 31.8

tuliptree 125.5 50.2




white ash 108.8 43.5

white oak 116.6 46.6

white oak 86.7 34.7

Additional Sites Requiring ProtectionBethayres SwampBethayres Swamp was identifi ed in the 1995 Natural Areas Inventory as a high priority site. It is located on the border between Abington and Lower Moreland Townships just north of the West Trenton (R-3) SEPTA railroad line; Meadow Brook, a tributary of the Pennypack, forms its southwestern boundary. The 78.48-acre swamp is split by the suspended Fox-Chase Newtown (R-8) SEPTA rail bed into Bethayres Swamp East and Bethayres Swamp West. The western piece is partly owned by Montgom-ery County (22.12 acres) and partly in private ownership (34.59 acres). The portion east of the old rail bed (21.78 acres) is also privately owned; further to the east, directly across the Pennypack Creek is a small Lower Moreland Town-ship park containing 9.19 acres.

Species Diversity – This site does not contain any known Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program-listed plants or ani-mals; however, in December 2005 there were signs of an active beaver colony. Bethayres Swamp


Plant Communities – Except for the wettest parts, the site is mostly palustrine red maple forest (Fike 1999). On the western side there is a slightly more upland forest of old American beech, white oak, tuliptree, and blackgum, with several approaching 36 inches in diameter. The wettest part of the swamp, which extends to the railroad tracks, is an example of a buttonbush wetland; prominent species include buttonbush, smooth alder, silky dogwood, black willow, northern arrow-wood, swamp rose, skunk-cabbage, lizard-tail, spatterdock, northern blue fl ag, common cat-tail, sensitive fern, and several sedges. The buttonbush wetland extends to the main railroad tracks.

Invasive Species – Invasive non-native species included bittercress, Indian strawberry, nar-row-leaved cat-tail, lesser celandine, stinging nettle, Japanese honeysuckle, Siebold viburnum, Morrow’s honeysuckle, obtuse-leaved privet, and multifl ora rose.

Frazier’s BogFrazier’s Bog was also identifi ed as a high priority site in the 1995 Natural Areas Inventory. It is located on a branch of Terwood Run, a tributary of Pennypack Creek, near the intersection of Terwood and Edge Hill Roads in Upper Moreland Township. This Piedmont site has attracted the attention of botanists since its discovery in the late 1800s due to its unusual concentration of coastal plain species. Springs and seeps emanating from a sandstone ridge to the north feed the bog. Frazier’s Bog is owned in part by the Huntingdon Valley Country Club and partly by an adjacent resident.

Plant Diversity – Although the site once supported at least 22 species of endangered, threat-ened, or rare plants, most have not been seen in many years. The wetland still supports a stand of sweetbay magnolia (PA threat-ened). Individual trees are as much as 8 inches dbh; however, regeneration is not occurring. In a 1996 survey, screwstem (PA undetermined), netted chain fern (PA threatened), and shining panic grass (PA endangered) were also found to be present.

Plant Communities – In its prime, Frazier’s Bog was an excellent example of red maple– magnolia coastal plain palustrine forest. Over the years the bog has been encroached on by resi-dential development, construction of a sewer line and pumping station along the creek, and the creation and expansion of an adjacent golf course. Over browsing by deer and the introduction of non-native invasive plants have also taken their toll on the bog.

Invasive Species – Serious invasive species problems exist at Frazier’s Bog including an ex-panding stand of common reed adjacent to the pumping station and Japanese stiltgrass that has become established throughout. Multifl ora rose is also present.

Sweetbay magnolia


Deer Status – Over browsing by deer has decimated the shrub and herbaceous components of the bog; even the stand of sweetbay magnolia is threatened as it cannot regenerate. If deer den-sity were reduced enough to allow establishment of seedlings and saplings the stand of sweetbay magnolia could be protected into the foreseeable future. However, the small size and isolated nature of the site make it highly unlikely that many of the other rare species that once grew there could be re-established.

Railroad WoodsRailroad Woods is a 50.6-acre site tucked in between Heaton Road and County Line Road immediately south of the Norfolk and Southern railroad tracks in Lower Moreland Township is a hidden fragment of mature for-est. The site, which is located on the contact between the Stockton Forma-tion of the Piedmont Lowlands and the mafi c gneiss which characterizes the Piedmont Uplands, also contains numerous springs and seeps that form the headwaters of an unnamed tribu-tary of the Pennypack Creek. Lower Moreland Township owns 8.2 acres of the site; the remainder is in private ownership.

Table 11.4 — Selected Big Trees of Railroad Woods

Type of Tree dbh Cm. dbh Inches

black oak 92.2 36.9

black oak 76.5 30.6

black oak 93.7 37.5

black oak 93.5 37.4

red oak 94.1 37.6



tuliptree 94.7 37.9

white oak 68.5 27.4

The forest contains mature red oaks, white oaks, black oaks, and tuliptrees, which are about 100 feet tall (Table 11.4). The oldest part of the woods is fairly free of invasive species ex-cept for garlic mustard and some patches of obtuse-leaved privet. But younger, more disturbed areas at the east and west ends are heavily invaded. In addition, there are several large patches of common reed along the creek. Deer are present; during a spring 2007 visit a herd of fi ve that apparently resides on the site, was seen. Evidence of browsing is easy to spot, and the

Skunk-cabbage – golden saxifrage forest seep at the Railroad Woods site


central part of this forest lacks regeneration of canopy tree species.

Adjacent residential property owners have dumped trash and garden refuse in the woods; otherwise the tract does not appear to be used. However, the presence of fl agging tape suggest-ed that a wetlands delineation had been conduct-ed recently. This site should be preserved both for its mature forest and to protect the headwa-ters of a tributary of the Pennypack Creek.

RecommendationsConnectivity and Land Protection Priorities• Protect/preserve the remainder of Bethayres Swamp (east and west of the suspended SEPTA

R-8 railroad bed). • Protect/preserve the lands along Pennypack Creek east of Davisville Road including the

61.16-acre Carson Simpson Farm Camp and the adjacent 13.56 acres owned by the Indepen-dent Bible Church.

• Protect/preserve property of the Lord’s New Church (110 acres west of Pennypack Creek).• Protect/preserve other inholdings/gaps along the Pennypack Creek from Route 63 to Davis-

ville Road.• Protect/preserve the tract of mature forest south of the Norfolk and Southern railroad line

between Heaton Road and County Line Road in Lower Moreland Township (referred to here as “Railroad Woods”).

• Complete trail connecting PERT trails with Lorimer Park and the lower Pennypack Valley utilizing the inactive Fox Chase–Newtown SEPTA railroad right-of-way.

Management Priorities• Reduce deer density throughout.• Continue invasive species management and concomitant forest restoration; target Paper Mill

Road Woods for intensive work.• Re-evaluate grassland establishment techniques with the goal of achieving more diverse

meadow communities that will be better grassland bird habitat.

Education and Interpretation• Develop additional interpretative exhibits to inform the public on issues of deer overabun-

dance and invasive species.

Tufted Titmouse, photo by Howard Eskin


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Documents

CHAPTER 11 Pennypack Creek Conservation Landscape