Banta Property Floodplain Restoration
Parts of the Chesapeake Bay watershed contain a high percentage of impervious cover – paved or other hard surfaces such as roofs and roadways that prevent rain water from being absorbed into the ground. Instead, water runs along these surfaces, collecting trash and substances such as motor oil, lawn fertilizers, and pesticides. This polluted stormwater flows into streams and rivers, where it threatens aquatic ecosystems and public health.
Effective stormwater management, on the other hand, creates safe paths for polluted runoff to be captured and filtered through the ground before it reaches waterways. This helps keep the environment clean and our communities healthy!
Project Location: Warwick Township, PA
Problem: The Lititz Run channel flowing through the Banta property in Warwick Township had been moved, straightened, and dammed for a historical mill operation. This artificial configuration created streambank erosion and stream channel instability. The overly wide and deep channel was migrating slowly into the side of a steep slope with a major road artery 75 feet above.
Solution: The stream channel was moved back to the lowest and most stable elevation in the valley. Cross vanes and rock vanes were installed to improve trout habitat. Sediment was removed from the floodplain, and native wetlands were restored. The stream now flows through the middle of the valley, and the site remains stable during major rain and flood events. The floodplain, stream, and wetlands interact with the groundwater and each other. Trout and macroinvertebrate communities have increased, and native plant communities are growing.
Community engagement: Local residents began to a appreciate the benefits of a restored watershed. This spurred increased involvement of both residents and businesses in additional restoration efforts.
Scale: 2,250 linear feet of stream and floodplain restored
Collaborators: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Growing Greener, Warwick Township, LandStudies, Inc.
