July brought record-breaking rainfall to Lancaster County, putting our local stormwater solutions to the test.
July 1 brought nearly 7 inches of rain to Manheim. Nearly 5 inches was reported at the Lancaster Airport and 3 inches in West Lampeter Township.
Another storm, on July 14, dumped 7.5 inches of rain on Mount Joy Township, washing away hundreds of newly-planted trees and native shrubs.
“We hope this incident catalyzes others to address water quality, ecosystem health, and sustainable stormwater management throughout Lancaster County,” said Shane Zimmerman, CEO of the Steinman Foundation, one of the lead project sponsors.
Different project sites, under different phases of completion, fared against the flooding and heavy rain to varying effect.
Blue-Green Connector
For project sites like the Blue-Green Connector along the Little Conestoga Creek, which was planted with trees, shrubs and grasses in May, floodwaters brought debris, rushing water and mud.
It was a challenge for the newly-installed vegetation, but planners of the project, The Little Conestoga Creek Foundation and the Steinman Foundation, were pleased with the project’s resiliency and released a press release on July 8.
While it notes that the project was not designed for flood mitigation, the press release notes how “land use that minimizes hard surfaces, green infrastructure that helps water soak in place instead of runoff, and native plants and trees with deep root systems are all recommended solutions to this problem.”
Long's Park Wetlands Project
The Long’s Park wetlands has five basins: the forebay, an iron-enhanced sand filter, an upper marsh, a lower marsh, and Long’s Pond itself. Brackbill said the wetlands were designed to prevent any of the first four basins from being overwhelmed during a 100-year storm.
There are spillways between the four basins, and runoff flows over the spillways during a high water event.
“During the storms earlier this month, the system worked exactly as it was designed. It handled the rainfall and the runoff from Route 30 and avoided the local flooding the area would have seen in year past,” said Water Resources Engineer, Angie Brackbill.
Conewago Creek Restoration Project
Phase 1 of the Conewago Creek Restoration Project began back in 2006, restored sections of the creek back to its historic floodplain and removing 125,000 cubic yards of legacy sediment, which allows for that same space to accommodate flood waters.
Furthermore, reconnecting the hydraulic system allows for better infiltration of groundwater.
Prior to the restoration, the area would see, on average 4 – 6 flooding events per year.
While they are far less-common now, the July storms dumped enough rain to flood several local roads, but further phases of restoration are in progress to better protect from flooding.
“That was a crazy event,” said Londonderry Township MS4 Environmental Specialist, Monique Dykman. “I am glad we are doing phase 4 to further mitigate flooding. But more work needs to be done!”
Farm in Mount Joy Township
This farm in Mount Joy Township was hit hard, first by the July 1 storm, and then by an additional 9 inches of rain on July 14.
Part of the project was a buffer, planted in the fall of 2024 by Penn State and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay with a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant.
An emergency repair session was held on July 23, where volunteers removed debris from the fence line and straightened, re-staked and re-tubed the trees that were left.
These are a few local examples. We will be adding more as they become available.
If you have an example of a project that weathered the recent storms, please submit information and pictures via email at info@LancasterCleanWaterWaters.com.
Click Here for more photos and information.
Visit the Lancaster Clean Water Partners website for more information on initiatives, programs and upcoming events.
(Photos: Row 1-- Blue-Green Connector, Long’s Park Wetlands; Row 2-- Conewago Creek Restoration, Farm in Mount Joy Township.)
Related Articles This Week:
-- PEMA Highlights Upgraded Weather Monitoring And Flood Warning System At Greencastle-Antrim School, Franklin County [PaEN]
-- Lancaster Clean Water Partners: Record-Breaking Rainfall In Lancaster County Put Stormwater, Watershed Restoration Projects To The Test [PaEN]
-- Eastern PA Coalition For Abandoned Mine Reclamation Hosts 2 AmeriCorps Interns Funded By Federal Office Of Surface Mining [PaEN]
-- Penn State Extension Aug. 25 Webinar On PFAS And 6PPD-q Chemicals In The Delaware River Basin [PaEN]
NewsClips:
-- PennLive: PA’s New Monitoring Stations Will Better Alert Residents To Floods, Other Weather Events
-- The Center Square: State Upgrades Flood Warning System
-- Post-Gazette: Emergency Alerts Sounded During Deadline West Virginia Flooding; Here’s How They Work And When They’re Used
-- LancasterOnline: Mountville Boro Wraps Up Stream Restoration Project At Spring Hill Park
-- PennLive: Rain Runoff Impacts Water Quality In State Park Lake Swimming Areas
-- TribLive: Avonmore Officials Assess Damage After Night Of Flash Floods In Westmoreland County
-- WTAE: Flash Flooding Causes Damage In South Franklin Twp., Washington County
-- Observer-Reporter: Southern Washington County Communities Hit Hard By Flooding
-- WTAE: GoFundMe Created After Washington County Teen Loses Barn In Extreme Floods
-- PennLive: Will A Catastrophic Flood Hit Central PA? It’s Only A Matter Of Time, Experts Say
-- Williamsport Sun: Reflections In Nature: Waterway Names Come From A Variety Of Sources
-- The Economist: America Is Remaking Its Disaster-Relief System; President Hopes To Undo Perverse Incentives [PDF of Article]
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