Wetland habitat at Ricky Park in Orefield, PA

By Matt MacConnell, Lehigh Valley Group Conservation ChairMacConnell

In August of 2019, the Lehigh Valley Group completed the construction of a wetland habitat for native plants and wildlife in Ricky Park in Orefield, PA. Our group had been searching for several years for a suitable site where a vernal pond could be built, when we discovered the Ricky Park site in Upper Macungie Township, which has a spring water source that would enable a year-round water supply for a shallow pond. The spring water was previously diverted to a stormwater swale where township officials would spray annually with herbicides, eliminating wildlife habitat potential. This project would create wetland habitat in the midst of a frequently visited municipal park. 

The township approval process moved forward with surprising alacrity as they had goals to reduce stormwater siltation and to provide public educational opportunities as part of their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Program. The proposed wetland had potential in both of these areas. In addition, uncontrolled flooding in the park made it difficult to mow, and for walkers recreating in the park to keep their feet dry when walking on the path or grass.

A new 8 in pipe, 180 ft in length, was installed to feed water to the location where a ”Y” shaped, lined pond was constructed. The new pond is 160 ft in length x 11 ft wide and excavated to a 1 ft deep center trench and 6 in deep terraces on both sides of the trench where the emergent water plants were placed and a 45 millimeter pond liner was laid in place to prevent leakage into the park. The water flow path has the inlet water flowing into one of the branches of the “Y” and flow exits through a rectangular weir, which sets the pond depth, out the other branch of the “Y”.  The outlet flow was directed into an existing 18 in storm drain pipe that returns the water to its original path along the swale.  Two solar powered pumps circulate water down the length of the stem in this “Y” shaped wetland. 

Community Planting Day 10Aug2019 (photo by Matt MacConnell)

To move the project forward, our Group partnered with Edge of the Woods, a local native plant supplier, and set a date for volunteers to come out and assist in planting native emergent water plants, flowering perennials, and shrubs at the new wetland site. About a dozen volunteers came out to help with the event. Now that the plants are in, it will take 2-3 years for the native plantings to fill in the area.

To give you an idea of the extensive diversity of native plants included, picture the following:

• Plugs of cardinal flower, swamp milkweed, tussock sedge, rushes and blue flag iris in the water
• Flowering perennials like Joe Pye weed, blue coneflower, marsh marigold, black-eyed Susan, switchgrass, sunflower, and bee balm line the berm
• Woody shrubs such as buttonbush, spicebush, red chokeberry, and winterberry holly as well as sensitive ferns outfitting the upland slopes

Almost immediately dragonflies and various aquatic insects and snails arrived. Then the frogs appeared along with visiting monarchs, bees and even bats were seen darting over the pond in the evening. To our surprise, small fish (bluegills and bass) arrived in the wetland as well. Neighbors and other park users stop by to inquire about the project or to read the informational sign and have been universally supportive and grateful for the project, which has also helped expand awareness of the Sierra Club in the area. In addition, the lined pond design seems to have mitigated flooding in the park by capturing and redirecting the water.  

The Finished Wetland with Informational Sign (photo by Matt MacConnell), Area Transformed from Lawn Grass to a Wetland Habitat

Upper Macungie’s Township Manager, Robert Ibach, Jr has thanked us for the project, stating “First of all -- let me thank you for all the work you have done on this project; it really looks good and offers the Township benefits.“

The Parks and Recreation department did have one requirement -- and that was to install a perimeter fence for safety. While, this had not been budgeted for, thankfully, the Lehigh Valley Group had the funds to support the installation of a black vinyl-coated chain link fence.

Overall, the project was very successful. We are grateful to have received a $15,000 grant through the Huplits Wildlife Grant program, which is administered by the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club, and also grateful to the Lehigh Valley Group, which provided an additional $7,000 for the fence and the solar pumps.

Matt MacConnell lives in Orefield, PA with his wife Diane and is an engineer and Technology Manager at Air Products. Matt currently serves as the Co-Chair and Conservation Chair of the Lehigh Valley Group and is on the board of a trout stocking association. He enjoys using his background in chemistry to lead a wide range of water quality monitoring programs on the Lehigh River and its tributaries. Learn more here about the Lehigh Valley Group’s events and projects.