Research sparked by a Pittsburgh-area watershed organization is challenging perceptions of urban ecology and revealing the resiliency of nature.
When a watershed organization discovered new wetlands forming along Pittsburgh’s three rivers, the news made waves. Three Rivers Waterkeeper had been conducting research in the tributaries of the Allegheny, Mononghahela, and Ohio Rivers when they noticed small pockets of native species thriving in the sediment deposited from upstream.
“Life is thriving in an urban space. We often forget that can happen,” said Dr. Heather Hulton VanTassel, Executive Director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper.
Eventually, the Army Corps of Engineers, which oversees the three rivers, took an interest. The development of urban river deltas raises numerous questions, such as who is responsible for stewarding those newly formed lands, what species exist there, and what can be done to protect those ecosystems.
“There are a lot of questions that are still unanswered, but we were able to notice the natural benefit that is happening in that region,” VanTassel said.
The Army Corps has received federal funding to study the deltas over the next year in partnership with researchers from West Virginia University, local nonprofits. Three Rivers Waterkeeper is tasked with studying the biodiversity in the deltas as well as sharing the research with community members.
The research is in addition to the patrols, water quality assessments, and community outreach that the watershed organization does on a regular basis. Last year, according to its 2024 Annual Report, Three Rivers Waterkeeper spent 665 hours patrolling local waterways and conducted 288 water samples to identify pollution.
The organization also nominated the Allegheny River for the 2024 River of the Year, an annual competition hosted by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), a PEC affiliate, and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Three Rivers Waterkeeper received a grant to fund a variety of River of the Year festivities, which included a summer kickoff featuring free kayaking and a live band, a half-day sojourn, and educational workshops.
Those events cultivated connections between communities and the Allegheny River, VanTassel said. More people took an interest in her organization’s work and signed up for volunteer opportunities.
“We really got to build off of that excitement last year,” VanTassel said, adding that she hopes to spread that excitement to the Ohio and Monongahela rivers.
The water quality in the region as a whole has improved, and VanTassel wants to make sure people realize that.
“We’re looking forward to helping change that narrative around the three rivers in Pittsburgh,” she said.
Jan. 24 is the deadline to cast your vote for the 2025 River of the Year. The nominees are Perkiomen Creek, the Delaware River, and the Youghiogheny River. Vote here.
Episode Links
- 2025 River of the Year voting
- Three Rivers Waterkeeper website
- Three Rivers Waterkeeper 2024 Annual Report