Logan Park and neighboring homes were plagued with frequent flooding after heavy rain events.  Polluted overflow from the combined storm and sewer system created a hazard to local residents as well as erosion and pollution problems to the local waterway. In addition, the popular soccer fields adjacent to the stream in the park were frequently flooded and often unusable, resulting in lost revenue and a shortage of athletic fields. In 2015, the Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance and LandStudies, Inc. partnered to create a green master plan for Logan Park, located at the confluence of Rife Run and Chiques Creek in Manheim, Pennsylvania. The master plan included a realignment of Rife Run, integrated with existing park uses, as well as stream and floodplain restoration, wetland creation, and the installation of other stormwater best management practices. The plan also created additional parking and extended a popular greenway trail used by residents.

The project involved the removal of 10,000 cubic yards of legacy sediment, 1,500 linear feet of stream restoration, and 2.5 acres of wetland creation, which included the seeding, stabilization, and planting of a variety of native trees and shrubs. "The stream restoration and habitat created for local wildlife is an asset and attraction for local community members," said Kelly Gutshall, president and landscape architect at LandStudies, Inc. The Chiques Creek Watershed Alliance hosts a “creek stomp” here each year where students from the local Manheim Central School District as well as homeschooled children go out into the stream and look for critters and bugs. 

Gutshall noted that as part of the restoration, the soil excavated from the floodplain was used to raise the adjacent soccer fields so they are no longer inundated with frequent flooding. The raised field design, in combination with the floodplain restoration and stormwater installations, has reduced erosion and helps infiltrate stormwater into the ground. Thus far, the Logan Park project paints a successful picture of how local stakeholders can come together to improve local water quality and create improved quality of life for local residents.

For more information about this project, visit our case story map: https://mostcenter.org/case-story-content/logan-park-stream-and-floodpl….