Waterways and nature trail

Sturdy nesting boxes will attract and retain breeding pairs of colorful Pennsylvania-native wood ducks.

Of the 89.73-acre Crossings site, less than half, or 42.5 acres, will be developed. Since the site contains partially forested floodplains and wildlife habitat along the Little Conestoga Creek, it is our duty and privilege to improve and preserve these resources where possible. We have proposed a number of conservation and habitat enhancement activities along the floodplain that will not only preserve and improve the environment, but will also incorporate an interpretive nature trail so that visitors can enjoy and interact with the natural aspects of this site. We also are exploring possible connections to other areas across the Little Conestoga Creek. In general, an attractive winding loop trail through the floodplain area will intersect unique existing features as well as areas that have been enhanced for water quality or wildlife habitat improvements. 

Attractive educational signs will be installed at strategic locations along the nature trail to inform visitors of the benefits of the project’s many environmental features, including: 

• expanding forested riparian buffers
• stabilizing sections of eroded stream banks
• enhancing existing wetlands with native shrubs and wood duck boxes
• installing a passive wetland treatment system for stormwater runoff

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This exhibit shows how riparian buffer areas in our region help to filter run-off, provide habitat for wildlife, and improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Such naturalized areas are planned for the Crossings site and already are maintained at our Greenfield Corporate Center, in partnership with the Little Conestoga Watershed Alliance.

The expansion of the existing fragmented forested riparian buffer located along the Little Conestoga Creek to the preferred width of 100-feet in width will create a continuous ribbon or greenway that the area currently lacks. Planting native riparian trees and shrubs in this corridor will help provide for stream bank stabilization, water temperature moderation (cooling), nutrient removal, sediment control, flood control, and additional wildlife habitat. Forested pervious surfaces significantly decrease waterborne pollutant loads. A continuous forested buffer will also act as a travel corridor for wildlife such as deer and song birds.

Re-grading eroded vertical stream banks to more gentle and stable slopes and utilizing in-stream flow structures will reduce sediment to the Little Conestoga and protect the property from further damage during high-water storm events.  Stable channel banks will provide for a healthier environment for the Little Conestoga’s aquatic inhabitants.

Providing diversity to existing wetlands adjacent to the Little Conestoga with native shrubs and sturdy nesting boxes will improve the corridor’s ability to attract and retain breeding pairs of multi-colored wood ducks that are native to Pennsylvania. 

Finally, the use of a constructed wetland treatment facility as an alternative to the standard stormwater grass detention basin is planned.  Such wetland facilities are designed for the peak discharge of the two-year storm and will capture 90 percent of run-off from all runoff-producing storms. Water quality of stormwater runoff will be improved by the wetland, which would be planted with various native herbaceous emergent wetland species. In turn, the wetland will function to capture and assimilate the majority of the flows and pollutant loads including sediment, nutrients, metals, and organic chemicals that could be associated with storm water runoff.