Reports and Plans

Buffalo Creek Watershed Implementation Plan

In June 2025, ASWP and Ethos Collaborative finalized a watershed implementation plan for the Buffalo Creek Watershed.  The Watershed is a 171 m² High-Quality watershed and Important Bird Area (IBA) in Armstrong, Butler, and Allegheny Counties that is important ecologically, recreationally, and economically. Over 37% of the watershed is Impaired. This project focused on building watershed coalition capacity, educating and engaging key stakeholders (public, landowners, and municipalities), and the development and implementation of a comprehensive water quality sampling program. With this document now finalized, it can be used to target areas for restoration projects such as riparian buffer plantings and streambank stabilization to reduce nutrient loading and erosion, respectively.

Buffalo Creek WIP June 2025

Buffalo Creek Watershed Water Quality Data Story Map

A Story Map summarizing the water quality research in the Buffalo Creek Watershed from 2021 to 2024

Water Quality Data Story Map

Duquesne University Masters Thesis Work in the Buffalo Creek Watershed

In 2021 and 2022, Kathleen Wilson, MSc. from the Porter Lab at Duquesne University conducted research in the Buffalo Creek Watershed. Her work examined the potential impacts of known and unknown sources of pollution in the watershed on fish and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Click below to read the full thesis.

Wilson Thesis 2022

2019: Buffalo Creek Watershed Conservation Plan 10-Year Update

Since the initial watershed plan was created, the watershed has experienced many changes (e.g. loss of forest and agricultural lands to development) and additional threats have surfaced (e.g. Wooly Hemlock Adelgid).

To facilitate conservation and restoration of the watershed, in 2019 ASWP conducted a 10-year update to the Buffalo Creek Watershed Conservation Plan. Through this process, opportunities were identified for restoration, partnership, and further stewardship of the IBA.

View the Full 10-Year Plan Update

2008: Buffalo Creek Watershed Conservation Plan

In 2008, ASWP led the development of the Buffalo Creek Watershed Conservation Plan (funded through the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund administered by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources). There is no watershed association for Buffalo Creek. Through these planning efforts, ASWP sought to ensure that there was a conservation plan for the watershed that was informed by a diverse set of stakeholders.