PINE GROVE - With a recent state grant, the Schuylkill Conservation District will start a project to prevent future flooding in the borough, Wayne G. Lehman, a county natural resource specialist at the conservation district, said Wednesday.
More than 15 inches of rain fell in September 2011, causing more than $1 million in damage in the borough.
"We're going to hire engineers to do the design work on the Swatara Creek Floodplain Restoration Project. We're planning to take 20 acres of undeveloped land near the creek and lower the ground level to capture floodwaters and, hopefully, reduce the flood impact on the borough," Lehman said.
This is one of five projects approved by the Schuylkill Conservation District which were recently given funding by the state's Growing Greener program, Lehman said.
Recently, the state Department of Environmental Protection awarded more than $20.65 million to fund 118 water protection projects through grant programs, including Growing Greener.
In this round of funding, the Schuylkill Conservation District received five state grants totaling more than $1.1 million, which will support projects in Cass Township, Frailey Township, North Union Township, Pine Grove and South Manheim Township, Lehman said.
On Wednesday, Lehman and William E. Reichert, manager for the Upper Swatara Long-Term Flood Recovery group, discussed these projects.
Schuylkill Conservation District received four Growing Greener grants.
Among them was the $300,700 for Phase I of the Swatara Creek Floodplain Restoration project. The project will focus on 20 acres owned by Guilford Mills, which is east of the plant.
"That area sits up high, so when the floodwaters come around, it pushes them into Guilford and Pine Grove. So we're planning to lower that, hopefully, push the floodwaters into that area and protect northern Pine Grove and Guilford Mills. With this grant our goal is to come up with a final engineering design with permitting," Lehman said.
The conservation district is planning to hire OTM Engineering, Pine Grove, and Clauser Environmental, Schuylkill Haven, to do the work, Lehman said.
"They will submit project proposals and cost estimates," Reichert said.
"We're hoping to have the design completed in a year," Lehman said.
Once in the engineering plan is in place, the conservation district will seek grants to afford the estimated $1 million construction project, Lehman said.
In the future, the conservation district will work on Phase II of the Swatara Creek Floodplain Restoration project, which will be a similar project involving 40 acres of land along the river, Reichert said.
The conservation district received Growing Greener for three other projects:
- $302,006 for the West Creek Flow Loss Assessment and Remediation Plan in Cass Township.
"Of particular concern to me is the West Creek project in Cass Township. The creek is underlain by abandoned mines, and the grant will help determine how to keep stream water from seeping into those mines," Rep. Neal P. Goodman, D-123, said in the release.
- $293,898 grant for Mine Pool Treatment System Expansion in Frailey Township.
- $144,000 for the Dandelion Farm Best Management Practice Installation in South Manheim Township.
Schuylkill Conservation District also received an EPA 319 grant of $157,505 for a project in North Union Township, "Oneida No. 3 Abandoned Mine Drainage Treatment System Optimization," according to the DEP website.
The 1987 amendments to the Clean Water Act established the Section 319 Nonpoint Source Management Program, according to the website for United States Environmental Protection Agency.
"Under Section 319, states, territories and tribes receive grant money that supports a wide variety of activities including technical assistance, financial assistance, education, training, technology transfer, demonstration projects and monitoring to assess the success of specific nonpoint source implementation projects," according to the site.
In the press release, Rep. Mike Tobash, R-125, Sen. David Argall, R-29, and Rep. Jerry Knowles, R-124, also stated their support for these grants.