Dionne Watts-Williams

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Dive into Discovery: Unveiling the Spectacular New Inhabitants of Our Mussel Hatchery for the 2023 Propagation Season!

Senior Aquatic Scientist, Lance Butler and his team of student interns have completed three propagation trials so far. You may know that the life cycle of the freshwater mussel is slightly complicated. Mussel larvae called glochidia must attach to the gills of a host fish to transform into juvenile mussels. In the lab, glochidia are […]


SUBMERGED: A Changing Global Climate Art Exhibition to Open on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd with Tours by Curator and Participating Artists

More people die each year due to flooding than from any other severe weather incident. It takes as little as 6-inches of moving water to knock down an average adult and just 12 inches of water to carry away a car! When a city is built along a river—and Philadelphia is wedged between two, the […]


SUMERGED: A Changing Global Climate

This special exhibition’s theme centered on flooding and Global Climate Change is directed by Karen Young for the Fairmount Water Works and curated by Thom Duffy. The exhibition’s purpose is to bring focus to historic and current extreme weather events impacting our region and the Planet’s struggle for survival. The exhibition will be held in […]


2023 Delaware River Watershed Fellowship

Spend the summer working with the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center! Start date: June 5-14, 2023End date: August 18-25, 2023Compensation: Fellows are paid $15.50/hour, 35-40 hours a week over the summer. Make this summer memorable and fun with a paid job connecting your community with nature. The Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center Fellow will specifically:• […]



“Inland” Receives Glowing Book Review

“The large format allows a map of the 108-mile-long navigation to flow, in color, across the inside front covers to the inside back covers. It might be the best map of the system I have seen.” Check out this lovely review of “Inland: The Abandoned Canals of the Schuylkill Navigation”, of which FWW educator, Sandy […]


We’re commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Clean Water Act.

This monumental piece of legislation and the burst of federal support for water infrastructure that followed revived polluted waterways across the United States – especially here in Philadelphia.  Follow along as we honor this milestone with history, events, and ways you can support the ongoing work of protecting and restoring our rivers and creeks! History […]


Inland: The Abandoned Canals of the Schuylkill Navigation

“Inland: The Abandoned Canals of the Schuylkill Navigation” was composed by Sandy Sorlien and other contributors, published by George F. Thompson Books, designed by Deborah Larkin in Philadelphia, and printed by Brilliant Graphics in Pennsylvania. The book is comprised of photos, maps, and essays about the historic Schuylkill Navigation System and its mostly-hidden ruins. Come […]


NOAA Future Watershed Stewards: Fairmount Water Works at the Carnival at Concillio!

Throughout July, students from the Summer Work Ready program at Concilio de Organizaciones Hispanas (Concilio) spent time with Fairmount Water Works (FWW) staff learning about urban watershed issues and what they can do to keep our waterways clean and healthy. Students spent time at FWW, collecting water samples from the Schuylkill River, conducting chemistry tests, […]


NOAA Future Watershed Steward Program: A Partnership Between Fairmount Water Works and Concilio Philly!

This week, the NOAA Future Watershed Stewards visited the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center to learn about freshwater mussels. This program, in partnership with Concilio, is designed to engage high school students in hands-on activities to grow their knowledge of urban watershed issues and encourage them to explore the ways they can become protectors of […]