Logan Park Stream and 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: Manheim, PA
Problem: A highly incised stream caused flooding in Logan Park and adjacent community during significant storm events. This created a hazard to residents as well as a shortage of athletic field space due to frequently flooded soccer fields. In addition, polluted overflow created erosion and pollution to Rife Run, a tributary to Chiques Creek.
Solution: A green master plan for Logan Park was developed. This included integrating the re-alignment of Rife Run into the existing park, maintaining and improving the soccer fields, and providing a proposed trail connection for the Borough. Stream and floodplain restoration, wetland creation, and the installation of other stormwater BMPs reduced flooding of the adjacent fields, improved water quality, and expanded wildlife habitat.
Monitoring: LandStudies will monitor and maintain the installations for a five-year period with photo documentation and visual inspection of the stream and riparian vegetation. Stream channels are inspected for signs of erosion, deposition, and lowering bank heights. Riparian vegetation is monitored during the growing season and assessed for aerial cover, plant survival, and the presence of invasive species. After the five-year monitoring period, the area will be inspected visually each year and after large storms.
Community engagement: The project increased wildlife habitat and usable recreational space for athletic fields. The extension of a greenway trail increased opportunities for environmental education for local schoolchildren.
Scale: 2.5 acres of wetlands created; 1,500 linear feet of stream relocated and restored; 6 acres of native ecosystem restoration and improved bio-diversity
Pollutants Removed: 757 lbs/yr nitrogen, 293 lbs/yr phosphorus, 118 tons/yr sediment
Cost: $464,223.92 (Master Plan: $2,731.97; NFWF Rife Run Design & Permit: $23,991.95; Rife Run Design & Permit: $37,500; Construction: $400,000)
Funding Sources: PA Department of Environmental Protection Growing Greener Grant, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Partners: Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance, Manheim Borough, Manheim Soccer Club
Contact: Kelly Gutshall, RLA; President, Landscape Architecture, LandStudies, Inc.; kelly@landstudies.com; 717.627.4440; www.LandStudies.com
