CodorusTUTom
Member
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2009
- Messages
- 143
I was in Allentown yesterday and decided to take a look at what was done. The removal of the vegetation was done through the entire length of the parkway. It does look kinda stark right now because the trees are still bare. While a lot was removed, dozens of new trees have been planted as well. There's still plenty of mature trees left to provide shade. The cleared areas are bordered mostly by wide, flat lawns and not steep, unstable slopes, so the buffer probably wasn't filtering that much anyway. And maybe the extra sunlight reaching the water will help the weed beds come back and create better trico habitat.
To me, what the creek needs more than a buffer is better in-stream structure - remove the ugly wire gabions and other old-fashioned stream improvements - add some rock vanes that would use the energy from high water events to scour deeper holes in the center of the channel. Add some boulders and pin some big logs in there.
All in all, I would hardly call the creek "destroyed". It actually looked pretty good to me and I regretted not having a fly rod with me. and let's not forget its still a very urban stream in a busy public park with users with varied interests. I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude while Mother Nature responds to the intervention. I wouldn't be surprised if the work they've done ends up in the long run as an improvement.
To me, what the creek needs more than a buffer is better in-stream structure - remove the ugly wire gabions and other old-fashioned stream improvements - add some rock vanes that would use the energy from high water events to scour deeper holes in the center of the channel. Add some boulders and pin some big logs in there.
All in all, I would hardly call the creek "destroyed". It actually looked pretty good to me and I regretted not having a fly rod with me. and let's not forget its still a very urban stream in a busy public park with users with varied interests. I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude while Mother Nature responds to the intervention. I wouldn't be surprised if the work they've done ends up in the long run as an improvement.