Watershed Stewardship
Independence Conservancy: A Pennsylvania Land Trust
The only land trust based in Beaver County, we focus on watershed conservation, land reclamation and natural resource preservation along the Raccoon Creek watershed.
Watershed Conservation Services
What is a Watershed?
A watershed is the area drained by a river or a stream. National Geographic defines a watershed as an area of land that drains or “sheds” water into a specific waterbody. Every body of water – creek, river, lake, ocean – has a watershed, the land that sends water into it.
Watersheds come in all shapes and sizes. They cross county, state, and national boundaries. Watersheds contain our homes, farms, factories, schools, roads, forests, neighborhoods, towns and cities. No matter where you are, you're in a watershed!
The Raccoon Creek Watershed
The Raccoon Creek Watershed is in southwestern Pennsylvania,
northwest of Pittsburgh near the West Virginia state line.
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Raccoon Creek’s headwaters (its origins) are in Allegheny and Washington counties. From there it flows north to join the Ohio River just upstream from Montgomery Lock & Dam near Industry in Beaver County.
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Independence Conservancy focuses its stewardship efforts in the Raccoon Creek Watershed and surrounding areas. We are recognized as the official watershed organization representing Raccoon Creek.