Upper Roxborough Reservoir

Since 2007, neighbors and volunteers have transformed the preserve. Overgrowth has been cleared, more than 2,000 trees and thousands of bulbs have been planted, and chain-link fencing is being gradually replaced thanks to recent grants. What was once an overgrown and little-visited area is now a thriving park visited by walkers, runners, dog walkers, and countless volunteers who continue to maintain and enhance this natural urban oasis.

The Upper Roxborough Reservoir and Swale is a 34-acre preserve that combines a decommissioned reservoir with a modern Philadelphia Water Department swale designed to manage stormwater in the Shawmont area. The reservoir, active from 1898 to 1962, has two basins—one largely dry and the other holding varying depths of water—while the swale captures and channels stormwater to protect the surrounding community. Together, they create a unique urban habitat supporting a wide variety of birds, small mammals, and thousands of toads that migrate here each spring to mate.