Roland Park Stream Restoration Project
Roland Park Rain Garden and Stream Bank Restoration Project
A grant for $120,000 was received from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) for the purpose of working on a Streambank restoration project and Rain Garden project at Roland Park. Akron Borough worked with Land Studies of Lititz to write a grant application to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC). The $120,000 from the NFWF grant was used as an in-kind requirement for this second application (instead of coming out of Akron Borough’s budget) to expand the scope of the project. At that time the amount of grant monies totaled $798,770.71.
The Project was awarded to contractor, Aquatic Resource Restoration Company, from York PA, with plans for a start date of August 19. The goal is to finish in 90 days.
MS4 (Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System) refers to a collection of structures designed to gather stormwater and discharge it into local streams and rivers. MS4 is a Pennsylvania state-mandated program, and the Borough of Akron is required to comply to its requirements. The goal of MS4 is to reduce sediment erosion and pollution and to stop pollution from going into the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay.
Some of the objectives for the project include: reducing bed and bank degradation; protecting public water source wells and sanitary sewer lines from further eroding; replacing a damaged pond outlet pipe and re-routing the run off; re-establishing 1.5 acres of floodplain with wetland pockets to promote infiltration, surface water recharge, reduce flooding and filter pollutants; and installing rain gardens.
Stream restoration in Roland Park will involve relocating the existing stream and widening it out to allow for wider absorption into the ground for less erosion. In addition to re-routing the stream, a rain garden will be constructed. This is a depressed area in the landscape that allows rainwater to soak into the ground. Rain Gardens also help filter out pollutants in runoff and provide food and shelter for wildlife. Grass lined swales will also be constructed and will act as a filter for impurities that would ultimately end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Planted grasses will look natural around the park and will add to the park aesthetics. All walking paths will be restored upon the completion of the project.