2023年11月7日
马特·威尔逊，Susquehanna的主管 Center for Environmental Education 和 Research 和 淡水研究所, conceived the project, which is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania.
“We’ve got a lot of stormwater runoff that comes in at the edge of Susquehanna’s property upstream, 我们想更好地捕捉这一点,” 威尔逊 说. “这些水坝将减缓水流, 因为它们是用木棍和石头做的, they will let water pass through the middle during a big storm.”
学生, faculty 和 staff from various local 和 statewide partners built 和 installed eight, three-foot dams in a stream that runs between the 淡水研究所 和 Susquehanna’s 太阳能电池阵列. 志愿者收集天然材料, 包括棒, small trees 和 invasive plants such as Bradford pear 和 honeysuckle, that were woven between wooden stakes to 常量ruct the dams.
“We get to be involved with something that directly benefits our ecosystem that we’re living in here at Susquehanna,25岁的Bryanna Schienholz说, an 地球 & 环境科学 和 德国的研究 double major from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, who also has a minor in 可持续性管理.
Known as beaver dam analogs, the manmade beaver dams are used to slow water flow 和 trap sediment. The hope is that the dams will help to p牧师ent erosion 和 flow of sediment downstream to the Susquehanna River 和 ultimately the Chesapeake Bay. 稳定的河岸, 威尔逊说, should also improve groundwater infiltration 和 lead the once perennial stream to flow year-round again.
The project is the first of its kind to be permitted by the state Department of Environmental Protection. 如果成功, 威尔逊 hopes the dams will become approved restoration structures across the state, opening the door for other conservationists to employ the methods being piloted at Susquehanna.
迪安娜·菲利普斯，23岁, who interned with DEP this past summer in the permitting department, 说, “Actually seeing a permit come to life at my own school is really cool.“菲利普斯是一个地球 & 环境科学 major from East Earl, Pennsylvania, who also minors in 环境研究 和 荣誉项目.
Partners on site for the work were the Chesapeake Conservancy, the Merrill W. 林土地 & 水源保护, the state Department of Environmental Protection 和 Fish 和 Boat Commission, 以及附近的自然保护区.