A group of Cornwall Manor residents got an up-close look last week at the results of a major restoration of the Quittapahilla Creek floodplain between 16th and 22nd streets in North Cornwall Township.
Members of Cornwall Manor’s Tree & Environment Committee were guests of the Quittapahilla Watershed Association and the Lebanon County Stormwater Consortium, two driving forces behind the project.
The group walked the creek’s banks as consortium member Bryan Hoffman explained last year’s project, which removed 400 year old sediment accumulation and bank erosion.
A lot can change in eight months.
Reversing 400 years of damage required the removal of trees and almost all vegetation along the stream, providing a less than scenic view for passing motorists. Public comments last year on social media and elsewhere were critical, describing the reconfigured floodplain as a giant mud flat, a swamp, and mosquito breeding ground.
But project leaders urged patience while newly planted native plants and trees took hold, with engineer Ben Ehrhart correctly predicting that “by next August it should be looking pretty good. The following year it will be even better.”
Want to tour the restored section of the Quittie?
Quittapahilla Watershed Association president Mike Schroeder said that the Cornwall Manor group requested the tour, and that his organization will be happy to accommodate others who would like their own tour.
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