Clean Water Doesn't Grow on Trees… Or Does It?

Clean water is one of our most important resources. Beyond the obvious need for clean water for drinking and bathing, clean and abundant supplies of water are also needed to supply industry and recreation, two of our most important contributors to a healthy economy. Consequently maintaining the Commonwealth's sources of clean water is of utmost importance. Forests often go unnoticed as simply the most effective way to maintain water quality and quantity, regardless of whether your drinking water comes from surface water or ground water. Scientific studies tell us that watersheds covered by natural vegetation, like forests, are more likely to produce, abundant, clean, high quality supplies of water. Fragmentation can alter the valuable ecosystem functions at work in forests in ways that seriously impact the quality and quantity of water supplies. Perhaps the best way to maintain forest cover is to ensure that it doesn't disappear.

Forests are silently working hard to keep our drinking water clean. They do this in many ways:

• Forested watersheds absorb rain and recharge underground aquifers and slowly release water stored in forestlands, which is vital to a consistent downstream water supply, particularly in times of drought.
• Forests filter out certain pollutants before runoff enters a stream.
• Forests stabilize stream banks – tree roots hold soil in place and lessen erosive forces.
• Forests provide wildlife and high quality fish habitat.
• Forested floodplains dissipate floods while increasing soil fertility and minimizing damage to lives, property, and streams.
• Forestlands can help reduce drinking water treatment costs and increase reservoir storage life.

As residents move out of cities and towns into the countrysides, forests are fragmented into increasingly smaller parts. On average a tract of forestland in Pennsylvania is about 25 acres. Researchers have determined that as the size of a tract of forestland decreases, it is less likely to be managed for forest products and thus is less valued. Taking action now to slow the process of parcelization and conversion of forest to other uses is vitally important to secure the Commonwealth's abundant water supplies and our position as the number one producer of hardwood lumber in the Nation.

To find out more about WPC's sustainable countrysides program, visit http://www.paconserve.org/rc/sc.html .

You can make a difference and help keep Pennsylvania's forests.

è Sign up to receive legislative action alerts today to influence public policy that affects forests.
è Find out more about WPC's Conservation buyers program .

Today's photo was taken by Larry Schweiger, former WPC President and CEO.

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