casey, Author at Little Conestoga Watershed Alliance

East Petersburg Community Garden

This project is located at the Borough’s former nitrate facility along the Little Conestoga Creek and previously consisted of a conventional stormwater basin and mowed grass areas.

The Little Conestoga Watershed Alliance partnered with East Petersburg Borough to convert the site into a Green Infrastructure Best Management Practices (BMP) Demonstration Area, resulting in a sustainable landscape where a variety of green infrastructure BMPs treat stormwater naturally, resulting in improved water quality, increased wildlife habitat, and reduced maintenance. The community garden provides a place for visitors to explore the BMPs and learn what can be implemented at their own homes, as well as providing a place for environmental education, and a place where people can enjoy nature. The site consists of a riparian buffer, a rain garden, native meadow plantings, no mow areas, mowed pathways and educational signage throughout.

In addition to the generous support, and hard work from East Petersburg Borough, this project has received support from many others. Kelly Gutshall at LandStudies provided the concept plan and much technical guidance at no cost. The group has also received funding from the Lancaster Sierra Club in the form of a Green Project Grant, and a Lancaster Water Week Grant from the Lancaster County Conservancy.

Little Conestoga Watershed Action Plan

LandStudies worked with the LCWA and key stakeholders in the watershed to develop a new watershed action plan in the summer of 2015, building on existing information, including the original 2003 Little Conestoga Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plan, but creating a new vision to guide the LCWA into the future.

The plan focused on inventorying and prioritizing opportunities for watershed improvement projects and provides restoration master plans for five priority sites (Centerville Middle School, Mennonite Home, Conestoga Country Club, East Petersburg Park and Manheim Township Linear Park). The action plan provides guidance to the LCWA on where to focus implementation efforts to improve water quality, minimize adverse effects from stormwater and improve riparian habitat.

Funding for this project came from a National Fish & Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Grant through the Conservation Foundation of Lancaster County.

Download the Action Plan »

Conestoga Country Club

Growing Greener Grants were used for this stream restoration project including bank stabilization, cross vanes, and riparian buffers. Rain gardens and native meadows were added later with a NFWF grant that helps to filter stormwater runoff from the Conestoga Country Club golf course.

Photo Credits: Conestoga Country Club – Kent Gardner

Jacobs Creek

LCWA supporters planted over 650 trees along Jacobs Creek in East Hempfield Township, with assistance from the Township staff and Keystone Custom Homes. The Alliance then returned to Jacob’s Creek to follow-up on the 2002 planting for a 2007 Earth Day Planting event, where more than 50 volunteers planted an additional 400 trees and shrubs.

Bachman Run

In the first phase completed in September 2002, LCWA volunteers planted over 300 trees along Bachman Run in Manheim Township with help from Donegal Trout Unlimited. Phase 2 in the summer of 2005 involved reshaping 3,000 feet of eroded stream banks, providing in-stream habitat structures and a dam removal. Phase 3, was completed in September 2005 to compliment the bank and in-stream project, as the LCWA organized over 60 volunteers and planted more than 600 trees around the stream restoration project.

Miller’s Run Restoration Project

In the summer of 2004 the LCWA completed this stream restoration project with assistance from DEP’s Section 319 Program & Rettew Associates. The project on Millers Run was initiated by residents of the Chestnut Valley & School Lane Estates developments. The project involved reshaping 2,000 feet of highly eroded stream banks. Then in September of 2004 as a follow-up to the stream bank stabilization, LCWA volunteers planted over 775 tree species.

Little Conestoga Creek Watershed Assessment and Restoration Plan

This report, prepared in January of 2003, was the LCWA’s first planning effort and provided the initial vision for the group and helped get many restoration and planting projects implemented. It was funded through the PA DEP’s Growing Greener Program and was expertly prepared by RETTEW (Mark A. Metzler, Watershed Specialist). This report is still a valuable resource for the group’s planning efforts and provided the foundation for the current Little Conestoga Watershed Action Plan. It is divided into thirteen sections; including an Introduction, Watershed Characteristics, Sources and Causes of Impairments, Macroinvertebrate Investigation, Fishery Investigation, Water Chemistry Investigations, Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species, Aquatic and Terrestrial Habitat Investigation, Municipal and County Governments, Partnerships and Public Relations, Completed Restoration Projects, Future Restoration Endeavors, and References.

Download the Assessment and Restoration Plan »

LASA Project

This was the LCWA’s first stream project completed and was carried out on land owned by the Lancaster Area Sewer Authority (LASA). The project, located between Charlestown Road and Manor Boulevard, on an unnamed tributary in Manor Township, involved streambank stabilization, fish habitat improvements, & stormwater controls. The group also worked with the adjacent property owner on establishing a forested buffer around the project.