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The
naturalized basin conversion project began in 2002. The project involved
retrofitting six existing, mown grass stormwater detention basins into
naturalized infiltration basins. The project naturalized five basins by
the summer of 2003 and fully converted a sixth basin by the spring 2004.
The
goals of the project included improved aesthetics, improved water quality,
decreased stream temperature, increased groundwater infiltration, and a
cost saving to the Township in the form of decreased mowing requirements.
In
the spring 2003, volunteers planted shrubs and trees in Basin 13. The
existing turf grass was eliminated in April and May by applying a
systemic, non-selective and non-residual herbicide. Meadow seed mixes were
planted, including three separate seed mixes - a floodplain mix on the
bottom, a showy upland mix on the side slopes, and a general detention
basin mix throughout the entire basin. Volunteers, including school groups
and neighbors, also planted approximately 350 perennial plugs in the
bottom of the basin.
Project results include: the successful restoration of a traditional
stormwater management basin to a more natural condition; the reduction of
municipal maintenance requirements; a more aesthetically diverse
landscape; and enhanced wildlife habitat. (Please note that water quality
samples were taken but the results were inconclusive.) The basin will be
monitored by a series of maintenance procedures developed with input from
several sources, including landscape architects and land managers familiar
with naturalized basins and the owner of a native plant nursery.
To
educate and involve the surrounding community, an educational brochure
describing the benefits of naturalized stormwater basins was created and
distributed. Public workshops at the Township Building informed homeowners
living adjacent to the basins and other interested parties. In addition,
informational signs installed at each basin upon completion educate the
general public about the project.
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