With the recent heavy rainfall this week, green infrastructure is proving to have an obvious impact on flood reduction.
Regional solutions, such as floodplain restoration, inherently decrease impacts that extend beyond a single parcel of land.
Reduced flooding and improved water quality are generally observed downstream as well and include the protection of infrastructure such as roads, bridges, structures as well as homes and businesses.
From a technical standpoint, the energy in the system-- floodway flows-- is reduced, and with the use of instrumentation, flood reduction can be quantified.
Here are three green infrastructure projects that are making a real difference in Lancaster County.
Lititz Borough
Within the past few years the Lititz Borough Flood Committee completed a streambank stabilization of Lititz Run and recently created floodplain wetlands along the stream. The project is located upstream of the North Oak Street Bridge.
Within the past few years the Lititz Borough Flood Committee completed a streambank stabilization of Lititz Run and recently created floodplain wetlands along the stream. The project is located upstream of the North Oak Street Bridge.
You will see from the video footage taken on Thursday, July 26 this green infrastructure project allows the rain water to be dispersed into the floodplain.
In doing so, much of the water’s energy is dissipated, protecting the bridge and other infrastructure along the stream valley from excess flow damage.
Also, it helps to filter out sediment and nutrients, reducing pollution and improving water quality of Lititz Run.
Rock Lititz
A 17-acre floodplain restoration project at Rock Lititz located in Warwick Township restored 3,136 linear feet of the Santo Domingo Creek by removing sediment from the valley bottom and increasing floodwater storage potential.
A 17-acre floodplain restoration project at Rock Lititz located in Warwick Township restored 3,136 linear feet of the Santo Domingo Creek by removing sediment from the valley bottom and increasing floodwater storage potential.
The project helps to reduce stream bank erosion and promotes the infiltration and filtration of runoff resulting in water quality benefits.
The increase of flood storage, and the resulting peak rate reduction benefited the property owners by eliminating the need for traditional stormwater basins and increasing the amount of usable space for development.
The township and neighboring borough benefit from the regional green infrastructure project with a reduction of flooding downstream and increase in water quality.
Brubaker Run
To meet stormwater management requirements for a phased land development project, an 11.5-acre floodplain restoration was completed on Brubaker Run in East Hempfield Township.
To meet stormwater management requirements for a phased land development project, an 11.5-acre floodplain restoration was completed on Brubaker Run in East Hempfield Township.
It restored 4,750 linear feet of stream length and 8.4 acres of wetlands and native plant communities were created.
The benefits include flood reduction, enhanced groundwater recharge, pollutant reductions, and significant ecological and aesthetic improvements.
This restoration approach exceeded the stormwater management requirements of the development, but also helped East Hempfield Township meet their MS4 Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction goals at no cost to taxpayers.
For more information, visit the LandStudies website or contact Laurel Etter Longenecker, 717-627-4440 or send email to: laurel@landstudies.com. Click Here to sign up for green infrastructure updates. LandStudies is certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) based in Lititz, Lancaster County. Follow LandStudies on Twitter, Like them on Facebook.
(Photo: Video of Lititz Run project taken July 26, 2018]
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