Image courtesy of Abington Township
The two parks will be designed to improve functions along Sandy Run Creek.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Philadelphia District has awarded a $2.1 million contract to Lucianos Excavation Inc. to stabilize, naturalize, and improve ecosystem function along Sandy Run Creek at Roychester Park and Grove Park in Abington Township, Pennsylvania.
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.
Generally, construction will involve the use of excavators, dump trucks, and other heavy equipment. Materials, including riprap, prefabricated footbridges, and sewer pipeline will be trucked to the site. Excess soil and stones will be removed from the site. Access will be fenced off for safety purposes. Construction is expected to take a total of one year.
Project features in Roychester Park include:
Bank Stabilization: Reduce erosion and sedimentation in this stretch of Sandy run by regrading, planting native vegetation and stabilizing the stream banks.
Culvert Replacement: Replace two damaged culverts with more ecosystem friendly prefabricated steel footbridges.
Sanitary Sewer Relocation: Protect the stream by relocating an existing sanitary sewer outside of the stream channel and installing a new sanitary line comprising roughly 830 feet of 10-inch PVC sewer pipe along with four precast reinforced concrete manholes due to ongoing erosion.
Riparian Enhancement: Stabilize around 1,000 square feet of eroded stream banks with stone riprap.
Upland Native Planting: Improve native habitat by clearing and grubbing approximately 2,000 square yards of undesirable vegetation, regrading and stabilizing 900 linear feet of the stream bank using native live stakes and seed and planting a native wildflower meadow near Corinthian Avenue.
Project features in Grove Park include:
Stream Naturalization and Stabilization: Restore the 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 feet of concrete channel bottom and replace with smaller natural stone and woody debris.
Riparian Enhancement: Improve the riparian habitat with native tree, shrub, and herbaceous species from the top of streambank to approximately 70 feet on both sides of the stream. Plant upland areas with native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants to expand the riparian buffer into open high ground and connect the riparian buffer to the existing adjacent forested floodplain.
Forested Floodplain Enhancement: Restore the forested floodplain and excavate a tributary channel in a low-lying area of the forested floodplain and redirect stormwater into the excavated channel to utilize the filtrating and storage capacity of the forested floodplain and wetlands in the park. Excavate small areas in the forested floodplain to enhance wetland functions. Remove invasive vegetative species from this section of the park.
