Watershed Characteristics
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The following characteristics apply only to the Upper Section of the Chartiers Creek Watershed:
Population – According to the 2010 census, 69,713 people live in the
Upper Chartiers Creek Watershed, which includes the main population centers of Washington County –
Washington City and Canonsburg – with their urban and suburban residential areas.
Municipalities – The Watershed contains the bulk of Washington County’s
asset real estate value, and comprises all or part of 19 municipalities. Ten of these municipalities
make up approximately 74% of its municipal land area.
- Amwell Township
- Buffalo Township
- Canonsburg Borough
- Canton Township
- Cecil Township
- Chartiers Township
- East Washington Borough
- Green Hills Borough
- Houston Borough
- Mt. Pleasant Township
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- North Bethlehem Township
- North Franklin Township
- North Strabane Township
- Nottingham Township
- Peters Township
- Somerset Township
- South Franklin Township
- South Strabane Township
- Washington City
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The following tables provide information regarding population and sub-area comparisons
within the Watershed:
Watershed and Municipality Area Comparisons
| |
|
| Municipality
| No. of acres
in watershed
| % of
municipality
in watershed
| % of
watershed
in municipality
|
| Amwell Township
| 683
| 2%
| 0.8%
|
| Buffalo Township
| 73
| 1%
| 0.1%
|
| Canonsburg Borough
| 1,488
| 100%
| 1.7%
|
| Canton Township
| 8,678
| 91%
| 9.8%
|
| Cecil Township
| 5,354
| 32%
| 6.0%
|
| Chartiers Township
| 15,695
| 100%
| 17.0%
|
| East Washington Borough
| 286
| 100%
| 0.3%
|
| Green Hills Borough
| 579
| 97%
| 0.7%
|
| Houston Borough
| 256
| 100%
| 0.3%
|
| Mt. Pleasant Township
| 7,365
| 32%
| 8.3%
|
| North Bethlehem Township
| 558
| 4%
| 0.6%
|
| North Franklin Township
| 4,757
| 100%
| 5.4%
|
| North Strabane Township
| 17,414
| 99%
| 19.6%
|
| Nottingham Township
| 100
| 1%
| 0.1%
|
| Peters Township
| 2,609
| 21%
| 2.9%
|
| Somerset Township
| 2,135
| 10%
| 2.4%
|
| South Franklin Township
| 4,204
| 32%
| 4.7%
|
| South Strabane Township
| 14,754
| 100%
| 16.6%
|
| Washington City
| 1,888
| 100%
| 2.1%
|
| TOTAL
| 88,876
|
| 100%
|
Municipal Population & Population Densities
of the Upper Chartiers Creek Watershed
| |
|
| Municipality
| 2000
Popula
-tion
| 2010
Popula
-tion | Change
2000 -
2010
| % Change
2000 -
2010
| Area
[mi2]
| Persons /
mi22000
| Persons /
mi22010
|
Canonsburg
Borough
| 8,607
| 8,988
| 381
| 4.4
| 2.3
| 3,742
| 3,908
|
Canton
Township
| 8,826
| 8,391
| -435
| -4.9
| 14.9
| 592
| 563
|
Chartiers
Township
| 7,154
| 7,818
| 664
| 9.3
| 26.9
| 266
| 291
|
East
Washington
Borough
| 1,930
| 2,234
| 304
| 15.8
| 0.5
| 3,860
| 4,468
|
Green
Hills
Borough
| 18
| 29
| 11
| 61.1
| 0.9
| 20
| 32
|
Houston
Borough
| 1,314
| 1,296
| -18
| -1.4
| 0.5
| 2,628
| 2,592
|
North
Franklin
Township
| 4,818
| 4,583
| -235
| -4.9
| 7.4
| 651
| 619
|
North
Strabane
Township
| 10,057
| 13,365
| 3,308
| 32.9
| 27.4
| 367
| 488
|
South
Strabane
Township
| 7,987
| 9,346
| 1,359
| 17.0
| 23.1
| 346
| 405
|
Washington
City
| 15,268
| 13,663
| -1,605
| -10.5
| 3.3
| 4,627
| 4,140
|
| TOTAL
| 65,979
| 69,713
| 3,734
| 5.7
| 107.2
| 616
| 651
|
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Water Resources –
- 36 public water supply wells
- Two large lakes for golf courses
- 6 former water supply reservoirs
- Canonsburg Lake, a 76-acre manmade lake maintained by the Pennsylvania Fish
and Boat Commission
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Commercial and Industrial –
Our watershed includes extensive commercial and industrial development, and the
Arden Landfill.
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Agriculture –
From as early as 2006, the Upper Chartiers Creek Watershed claims more than 160
farm properties that are enrolled in Agricultural Security Areas (ASAs)* in
townships located entirely within the Watershed. These townships are Cecil,
Chartiers, North Strabane, and Peters. There are additional farms that are
enrolled in other ASAs in townships that are partly within watershed boundaries.
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Oil and Gas –
Oil and natural gas production is a major industry in Washington County. This includes well
drilling and fracking, ongoing oil and gas production, installation and operation of pipelines
and compressor stations, cryogenic separation plants and admin offices. There are a
combined 6,056 active oil and gas wells in the county. Washington County has the
most Marcellus fracked shale gas wells in all of Pennsylvania, 1,146
wells. Each well used about 4.5 million gallons of water during the fracking
process.
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*Agricultural Security Areas, administered by the Pennsylvania Bureau of Farmland
Preservation, are a tool for strengthening and protecting our quality farmland from
the urbanization of rural areas. Read more…
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