Over one hundred years ago, landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. envisioned the Saw Mill Run stream corridor as a “green boulevard” of open space to protect against flooding and to serve as a valuable public asset for the Pittsburgh region. In his vision, the stream corridor could be a lush landscape traversed by Saw Mill Run and enjoyed by the region’s residents. Unfortunately, this once verdant stream corridor is now plagued by frequent flooding, daily traffic congestion, and haphazard development patterns. In 2022, with funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Richard King Mellon Foundation, Watersheds of South Pittsburgh embarked on a 2-year process to develop a Master Site Development Plan for the Saw Mill Run corridor. The final plan was accepted by the City of Pittsburgh's Planning Commission in March 2024. Watersheds of South Pittsburgh is seeking input and participation in developing a cohort of community leaders to promote and facilitate implementation of the projects identified in the plan.

Beginning on Tuesday, May 20th, Watersheds of South Pittsburgh will host the Saw Mill Run Task Force Training Workshops throughout May and June.

The first 4 sessions will be on Tuesdays from 5:30 - 7:30pm, with a light meal provided. These 4 sessions will be in Beechview. The Beechview Healthy Active Living Community Center will host the first 2 sessions, and Grandview Church of God - Beechview will host the following 2 sessions. Two Saturday field trips to locations within the watershed will be held on June 7th and 14th. June 7th will be a combined site visit and cleanup in Ansonia Place. The final workshop will be an overall review and wrap-up of the process.

Our Kick-off workshop, held on May 20, 2025, will be focused on Saw Mill Run as a Watershed and Community. We will discuss what a watershed is and the unique aspects of the Saw Mill Run Watershed and the impact of over 100 years of development has had on the stream and its neighborhoods. Content on the final sessions will be provided at the kick-off.

We are particularly interested in having residents from our neighborhoods join us in this opportunity. We understand how difficult this might be for some of our residents; therefore, those participants who complete at least 5 sessions will receive a stipend of $350 at the end of the workshop series. In addition, for those who are interested, we will also provide tuition to the Penn State Master Watershed Steward Training Program.

Please register early - space is limited!

REGISTER HERE.