The Philadelphia District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that a $2.1 million project will enhance Sandy Run Creek in Abington Township by improving habitat, stabilizing banks, and controlling invasive species at Roychester and Grove Parks.
The project is designed to enhance and restore aquatic, wetland, and riparian habitat, improve infiltration of flood waters, stabilize stream banks and reduce erosion, control invasive species; and reconnect floodplains, according to a USACE news release.
Lucianos Excavation Inc. will bring in excavators, dump trucks and other heavy equipment to the site, officials said. Materials including riprap, prefabricated footbridges and sewer pipeline also will be trucked to the site, and the contractor will remove excess soil and stones from the work zone.
The construction along Sandy Run Creek within the parks is expected to take about one year to complete, the USACE said. During that time, fences will be erected for safety purposes.
Roychester Park’s project features include:
- Bank stabilization to reduce erosion and sedimentation in this stretch of Sandy Run by regrading, planting native vegetation and strengthening the stream banks.
- The replacement of two damaged culverts with more ecosystem friendly prefabricated steel footbridges.
- An existing sanitary sewer relocation to protect the stream outside of its channel, the installation of a new sanitary line comprising roughly 830 ft. of 10-in. PVC sewer pipe, and four precast reinforced concrete sewer holes to halt ongoing erosion.
- A riparian enhancement to stabilize around 1,000 sq. ft. of eroded stream banks with stone riprap.
- Upland native planting to improve the natural habitat, as well as clearing and grubbing approximately 2,000 sq. yds. of undesirable vegetation, regrading and stabilizing 900 linear ft. of the stream bank using native live stakes and seed, and new planting within a native wildflower meadow near Corinthian Avenue.
At nearby Grove Park, work will soon get underway to:
- Restore the forested floodplain and excavate a tributary channel in a low-lying area of the floodplain. Stormwater will be redirected into the excavated channel to utilize the filtrating and storage capacity of the floodplain and wetlands in the park. Lucianos’ crews will excavate small areas in the forested floodplain to enhance wetland functions. Finally, invasive vegetative species will be cleared out of this section of Grove Park
- Restore the Sandy Run creek channel to near natural conditions and remove existing gabion baskets, regrade banks to better connect the main channel with the forested riparian buffer, and remove 350 linear ft. of concrete channel bottom so as to replace it with smaller natural stone and woody debris.
- Improve the riparian habitat with native trees, shrubs and herbaceous species from the top of the streambank to approximately 70 ft. on both sides of the stream. Upland areas also will be planted with native trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants to expand the riparian buffer into open high ground and connect the buffer to the existing adjacent forested floodplain.
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Photos: Abington Township, USACE