The purpose of the project is to stabilize, naturalize, and improve ecosystem function along Sandy Run Creek at Roychester Park and Grove Park in Abington Township, Pennsylvania. Specific objectives are 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.

In Roychester Park, the banks in the above ground sections of the creek are currently severely eroded and disconnected from the surrounding floodplain. Furthermore, invasive species and other factors reduce the quality of the habitat. In Grove Park, the main section of the creek is channelized with concrete, which reduces the aquatic habitat value and increases water velocities during storms. 

Construction within Roychester Park and Grove Park will be similar but include different features in each park.  

In Roychester Park, the Army Corps of Engineers and its contractor will: 

• Bank Stabilization: Regrade, stabilize, and plant stream banks to reduce erosion and sedimentation in this stretch of Sandy Run.
• Culvert Replacement: There would be a Contract Option to replace two culverts with prefabricated steel footbridges.
• Sanitary Sewer Relocation: Installing a new sanitary line comprising roughly 827 feet of 10-inch PVC sewer pipe along with four precast reinforced concrete manholes due to ongoing erosion.
• Riparian Enhancement: Placing around 990 square feet of riprap to stabilize eroded banks.
• Upland Native Planting:  Clearing and grubbing approximately 1,979 square yards of land, regrading and stabilizing 900 linear feet of the stream bank using native live stakes and seed. With the option of plant a native wildflower meadow near Corinthian Avenue on a hill that has little recreational value.

In Grove Park, the Army Corps of Engineers and its contractor will: 

• Stream Naturalization and Stabilization: Remove existing gabion baskets, regrade banks with stream benches to better connect the main channel with the forested riparian buffer. Remove 350 linear feet of concrete channel bottom and replaced with stream substrate of riprap choked with smaller stone. Provide additional stream stabilization using large woody debris.
• Riparian Enhancement: Plant riparian area from the top of bank to a width of approximately 70 feet on both sides of the stream with native tree, shrub, and herbaceous species. 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: Excavate a tributary channel in a low-lying area of the forested floodplain. Fill the stormwater channel at the east end of the park and redirect the storm water outfall 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 multiflora rose from this section of the park.

Generally, construction will involve the use of excavators, dump trucks, and other heavy equipment. Materials, including rip rap, 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.

1. Grove Run Park Re-Opening Timeline
   • We're nearing the completion of the work at Grove Run Park. We anticipate the park will be re-opened in approximately three weeks. The remaining work focuses on these key areas:
     • Steam Channel Completion: We're finishing up the construction of the steam channel.
     • Planting: Once the channel is complete, we'll move onto planting to restore the park's landscaping.
     • Clean Up & Demobilization: We'll thoroughly clean the site and remove all construction equipment and materials (demobilize).
2. Addressing Recent Flooding at Grove Run
   • We've been monitoring a flooding issue in the Grove Run area, which has been exacerbated by recent heavy rainfall. Here's what we've found:
     • Recent Rainfall: The area has experienced significant rainfall in the last few days.
     • Steam Flow as Designed: The steam channel is functioning as it was engineered to.
     • Source of Flooding: The majority of the water causing flooding on Nysolr Avenue is actually runoff from the nearby car dealership, not directly from the steam itself. We are aware of this and are monitoring the situation.
3. Return to Roychester Construction
   • Following the completion of the work at Grove Run, our team will be returning to Roychester to continue and finish the construction there.
     • Planned Phasing: This return to Roychester was always part of the original project plan – we intentionally phased the work to allow us to focus on Grove Run during a critical phase.
     • Bridge Delivery: We are currently awaiting the delivery of prefabricated bridges, which are essential for continuing the Roychester work. We'll mobilize back to Roychester as soon as these bridges arrive.
4. Project Schedule – Ahead of Target!

We're pleased to report that the overall project is currently ahead of schedule! We are potentially looking at completing the entire project 1 to 2 months earlier than originally anticipated. This is fantastic progress!

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is managing the overall project. A contractor (yet to be determined) will be responsible for physical construction. Abington Township is the non-federal sponsor for the project. Construction is cost shared between the federal government (75%) and the Township (25%).