When it rains, it pours!
When it falls from the sky, we call it rain. But once those April showers hit the ground, the rain becomes something more ominous-sounding … “stormwater” … and its effects have become more complicated and expensive. We’ve seen fast-moving, drenching thunderstorms virtually paralyze parts of Tredyffrin Township, sometimes the water so damaging it causes roads to close.
The Annual Meeting of the Open Land Conservancy is tackling the complicated issue of stormwater and the public is encouraged to attend on Tuesday, April 7, at 8 PM at Great Valley Presbyterian Church, 2025 Swedesford Road, Malvern, PA 19355. Guest speaker Michele Adams, a water resource engineer and founder of Meliora Design, a civil engineering firm specializing in sustainable site design and water resources planning in Phoenixville, will discuss stormwater management, the issues in Tredyffrin and offer suggestions for homeowners. Ms. Adams will talk about the stormwater problem in general, issues specific to Tredyffrin, and suggestions for homeowners. Following her presentation, Ms. Adams will answer questions from the audience.
The OLC is Tredyffrin Township’s largest non-government landowner, with six preserves in the township. In total, the OLC has nearly 500 acres of open space, either owned or in conservancy. Each year OLC provides a public meeting focusing on an environmental issue of local interest. This year’s stormwater topic is particularly relevant, especially given some of the new development projects in Tredyffrin – the large assisted living building on Lancaster Avenue in Daylesford, Chesterbrook Shopping Center redevelopment and Wayne Glen (Richter Tract) carriage and townhouse community in Glenhardie area.
Stormwater management has been a top priority in the proposed Wayne Glen plan as the first township land development project to utilize the Trout Creek Overlay District ordinance. The proposed plan requires extensive engineering to control the storm water in the Trout Creek tributary that runs through the property. How the Wayne Glen developers will manage the stormwater in Wayne Glen continues to be one of the major sticking points for the residents living in this development area.
The issues surrounding stormwater affects all of us; the run-off rainwater on parking lots, driveways, roads, homes and office buildings, all of which used to be absorbed by the ground but now is covered with pavement. The gutters, retention basis and storm sewers carry the water into area streams already swollen with rain. Beyond the obvious erosion to the creek banks, severe flooding and property damage, the water also sweeps pavement pollutants like motor oil, anti-freeze, brake fluid and other garbage into the streams that often feed major sources of drinking water.
Like individual homeowners, the managed preserves of OLC are subject to erosion from stormwater run-off from neighboring properties and roads. Stormwater management is a real problem facing this community. The growing problems with stormwater runoff are in direct proportion to the amount of impervious surfaces that are being built and the amount of soil-compacting construction activities that are taking place.
Plan to attend Ms. Adams presentation and learn how efficient stormwater management techniques can reduce the damaging impacts of stormwater runoff on water quality, on flooding, and on sensitive ecosystems impacted by all of that water