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Friends of the Wissahickon Reduce Stormwater Erosion in Wissahickon Valley Park
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The Friends of the Wissahickon are making substantial progress on the Wissahickon Stormwater Mitigation and Sediment Reduction Project, a two-year project in partnership with the Natural Resources staff of Fairmount Park, which will reduce sediment, improve water quality, protect drinking water sources, and restore critical wildlife habitat. (Photo: FOW volunteers John Cassidy of Abington, Melissa Cresswell of Chestnut Hill, Cathy Sulimay of Andorra, and Jennifer Overberg of Germantown at the Kitchen's Lane work site.)
This summer, FOW is working on four severe erosion sites on the west side of the Wissahickon gorge: Bluebell Meadow Pavilion; Historic RittenhouseTown; Kitchens Lane White Trail; and Kitchen’s Lane Gully.
All the sites carry substantial stormwater volume and sedimentation into the Wissahickon Creek, damaging the riparian and upland habitats in the watershed, and include stormwater gullies and degraded trail corridors. All four projects include any necessary trail repair.
Historic RittenhouseTown Gully Restoration/Trail Re-route. Materials are currently being assembled at the Historic RittenhouseTown Gully Restoration/Trail Re-route. This trail section has stormwater runoff problems where the trail carries flow during storm events. FOW will be shortening the drainage areas along the trail by installing four water bars made of rock at strategic locations and diverting the flow to forested areas.
Bluebell Meadow Pavilion Gully Restoration/Trail Re-route. FOW is still finalizing permits for the Bluebell Meadow Pavilion Gully Restoration/Trail Re-route. This degraded channel is the result of unmanaged stormwater runoff from impervious parking, roads, and lawns at the top of its drainage area (around Blue Bell Meadow). Although inverts in the road curb allow some drainage into forested areas, the stormwater needs to be better managed in this section of the park to reduce sedimentation to the Wissahickon Creek below.
Kitchen’s Lane Gully Restoration/Trail Re-route. Permits are still being finalized for the Kitchen’s Lane Gully Restoration/Trail Re-route, which involves a closure and re-route of two trails in the vicinity of Kitchen’s Lane. The first is situated across the land’s steep contours near the gully area, and the second is located near the bottom of a forested slope. The poor alignment of these trails has resulted in significant trail erosion and sedimentation into a tributary of Wissahickon Creek. In addition, the second trail has caused extreme downward cutting through the soil profile due to heavy use over the past 20 years. Stormwater Best Management Practices, such as stepped pool sand retention areas, may be used to slow runoff.
Kitchen’s Lane White Trail. Work has already started at the Kitchen’s Lane White Trail, which addresses stormwater runoff from Kitchen’s Lane that has created a small gully leading to an unnamed tributary of the Wissahickon Creek, causing soil erosion and widening of this downstream section of the gully. FOW will stabilize the bank and conclude with complete matting, seeding, and replanting of trees and shrubs.
For both Kitchen’s Lane projects, FOW hired consultant John Crandell, from Enduring Nature Designs. “In the Kitchen's Lane area we will be replacing several paths that fall short of modern standards for environmental impact and sustainability,” says Crandell. “The new routes will address those issues with paths where all of the parks users will find a more enjoyable experience. It's a win for everyone.”
Interested in the Wissahickon? Visit the FOW Calendar for special events during June and July.
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7/4/2011 |
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