Ripple:
We recognize that successful stormwater management goes beyond infrastructure. It involves meaningful engagement with residents to align solutions with their needs and values.
The Nine Mile Run Watershed
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Overview
UpstreamPgh is creating a new plan for the Nine Mile Run Watershed, and we need your help.
This plan will address water related issues such as urban flooding and the health of the Nine Mile Run stream in Frick Park, with a focus on tackling the environmental injustices that exist in the watershed.
The Nine Mile Run Watershed includes all the land that funnels stormwater into the Nine Mile Run stream. This includes all of Wilkinsburg, and parts of East Hills, Homewood, Point Breeze, Edgewood, Squirrel Hill and Swissvale.
This project wants to hear about the water places and water priorities that are most meaningful to you! Please take a few minutes to fill our our Ripple public survey.
History
Back in 1998, a group of artists, scientists, and residents came together to save a stream impacted by decades of industrial waste. This led to the formation of the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association and the country’s largest urban stream restoration, which was completed in 2006 in partnership with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the City of Pittsburgh!
Thanks to their bold vision, Nine Mile Run is in a much healthier state today, supporting wildlife and outdoor recreation. But it’s still plagued by sewage, trash, and pollutants that flow off our city streets and underground through storm drains. Meanwhile, neighborhoods in the watershed face flooding issues and basement backups during heavy rains. With major socioeconomic disparities amongst the communities in the watershed, those impacts aren’t felt evenly. It’s time for a new plan!
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) in Wilkinsburg: WSRP Phase I
Identifying Solutions
One solution to mitigate the impacts of climate change and aging infrastructure is green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). GSI is a way to capture stormwater when it rains to keep it out of our streets and homes, while also preventing it from carrying pollution into a stream or overloading the city’s storm-sewage system. One outcome of our plan will identify new places to build GSI along with other possible solutions including policy change and incentives for stormwater management.
We are creating a plan for new green stormwater infrastructure in communities of color and others that have been most affected by stormwater issues. We’ll also advocate for policy that supports a more equitable watershed.
Project Timeline
January – March 2025:
Listening & Learning: background research and community meetings
March – November 2025:
Ideating & Testing: Launching into Action: prepare a watershed plan for review
December 2025 – May 2026:
Launching into Action: Finalizing the watershed plan
Get Involved
Contact Aaron Birdy to share or fill out our survey!
Project Partners
Community & Municipal Partners
Share with your network
Conducting an equitable planning process for a watershed plan involves engaging a diverse range of community stakeholders. During this phase of the project, we are engaging the general public, community stakeholders, tribal nations, and local businesses in a Public Survey. We need your help to spread the word! Please share the link — coming soon!
Connect with us, and each other, to amplify the work.
