Riverbend Advocates with Local Governments to Save the Stream

After two years of advocacy by Riverbend with township, county, and state governments, Riverbend is finally poised to buy and preserve a parcel of land containing Saw Mill Run, a substantial feeder stream for the Schuylkill River, the source of Lower Merion's drinking water.

"Protecting watershed health and educating the next generation to protect our drinking water is so important, and kids love assessing stream health with guidance from Riverbend's environmental educators." says Riverbend Education Director Suzanne Safran. While conducting interviews with field trip students visiting Riverbend, Safran noted that the majority of students cite the stream as their favorite part of the field trip.

For decades, Riverbend has hosted field trips on the banks of the stream, which has been owned and neglected by a series of private owners for decades. Hoping for improvements to the water quality and integrity of the streambanks located on a parcel of land next to Riverbend, Riverbend began advocating in 2024 to buy the parcel.

Riverbend's advocacy led to action at all three levels of government, with a combined total of $1M in public funds allocated to this project in 2025. In 2026, the property was sold to a new private owner, obviating the need for public funds, as the new owner will now sell the stream directly to Riverbend. In 2027, the land with the stream will pass into Riverbend's ownership in early 2027, without using public tax dollars.
However, all three governments got involved in the project, dedicating staff time to creating the conditions needed to preserve Saw Mill Run, which will henceforth be under Riverbend's protection.

"Riverbend wants to continue the riparian stewardship we have been doing for this stream over the last five decades," says Riverbend Executive Director Erin Reilly, "while operating secure in the knowledge that Riverbend is the legal caretaker of this part of the stream in our Schuylkill River Watershed."

"We are excited to now be working with Township staff to ensure our plans can meet all the requirements for riparian management in the Township's Article V code," said Reilly. "The outcome will be that this portion of the stream, which we have never officially owned, will finally be under our care. We can apply our habitat preservation skills to protect the land and teach children how to keep the water clean."

Riverbend uses Saw Mill Run to teach watershed education to thousands of children from Lower Merion and surrounding townships and counties, every year.