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With their knowledge of low
impact site development, watershed management and water and wastewater
management, F.X. Browne, Inc. designed and built a constructed
wetland at their company headquarters. The wetland was completed
within a two week timeframe in July 2003. The objective of this retrofit
project was to introduce Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the site to
improve water quality, beautify the land, and prevent downstream
flooding into Perkiomen Creek.
The steps to create the constructed stormwater wetland on the
site included re-contouring the basin, restricting the outlet pipe, and
planting the basin with native wetland plants. To begin,
cattails and sod were completely removed from the basin. Contouring
included the construction of an open-faced channel, which slows down
the velocity of stormwater. Outlet pipes were changed and set at a
higher elevation to allow for stormwater to pool in order to create the
wetland. Lastly, the basin was enhanced with native species, which filter
pollutants and evapotranspirate, providing volume control.
Species planted include
Boneset, Cardinal Flower, Aster spp., Goldenrod spp., Smartweed spp.,
Rush spp, Sedge spp., New York Ironweed, Joe Pye Weed, Blue Vervain,
Iris spp., Switchgrass, Little Bluestem. Certain species thrived and
spread throughout the basin, like the plantings of Aster and Blue
Vervain, while other varieties have not spread much from their
original planting locations, such as Boneset.
F.X. Browne, Inc. has been
monitoring the site to take note of fauna adapting to the basin. They
have mainly noted good types of insects which is in turn attracting
small predators. A notable difference has been established in the
biodiversity from the old basin to the new naturalized basin.
This retrofit project
demonstrates F.X.
Browne, Inc.’s involvement in the community through their responsible
stewardship as landowners. They plan to utilize the site as an
educational tool and continue scientific testing for efficiency against
runoff pollution. Their research on the establishment of specific plant
and animal species will be influential to their future projects as a
firm.
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County:
Montgomery
Watershed: Neshaminy Creek
F.X. Browne, Inc. is located at 1101 S. Broad St. in Lansdale and is the company’s corporate headquarters. Specializing in civil and environmental engineering, planning, and
management, the F.X. Browne consultant team used their own expertise to
naturalize the detention basin on their property.
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TVSSI BMPs in a larger map
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