PLACE Forum

June 20, 2008 column by Lisa Brouillette: Local watershed SWaMP’ed with success

(first published in the Opelika-Auburn News)

Droughts in the southeast, floods in the heartland, EPA fines totaling over $4 million levied against four major national homebuilders for alleged Clean Water Act violations-recent news on water and water quality issues has been bleak.

Want some good news about our local watershed for contrast? Look at the work of SWaMP – the Saugahatchee Watershed Management Plan.

SWaMP’s goal is “to clean up Saugahatchee Creek and educate others of its value.” As shown on their new website (www.swamp.auburn.edu), SWaMP accomplishes this through a combination of research, education, and practical projects.

For example, SWaMP funded approximately 20% of the Saugahatchee Restoration Project located in Auburn, downstream of the North Donahue Bridge and north of Richland Road.  SWaMP collaborated on the project with the City of Auburn’s Water Resource Management Department (WRM), which planned and executed the restoration.

According to the SWaMP website, an estimated equivalent of 100 dump truck loads of soil had eroded from this site into Saugahatchee Creek and from there to Yates Lake and the Tallapoosa River. The erosion threatened a major sewer line that transports sewage from thousands of homes to an Auburn wastewater treatment plant.

However SWaMP doesn’t just fix existing problems, the group also works proactively to encourage better methods of construction, development and maintenance. Recently they presented a local workshop on low-impact development (LID). This method, proven successful in other areas, incorporates wetland-building and other environmentally friendly techniques.

Local developer Jay Conner, who attended the LID workshop, is already involved in a local LID project -  the Camden Ridge Constructed Wetland project.  This project will help reduce sediment and pollution runoff such as lawn chemicals and fertilizers, pet waste, motor oil, etc. In addition, it will serve as an educational opportunity for the whole community.

SWaMP is providing both funding and technical assistance for the Camden Ridge project. For more details, see the “What can a local wetland do for your subdivision?” link on the SWaMP homepage.

One of SWaMP’s strengths is that it’s comprised of a variety of stakeholders: state and local government officials, university personnel and departments, environmental groups, developers, industries, interested citizens, and others.

It’s particularly heartening to see developers involved with SWaMP.  Many LID methods -greenways, wetland building, erosion control, stream bank restoration, etc. -are best incorporated in the earliest stages of development. They provide aesthetic, environmental and economic benefits.

A SWaMP  project with Opelika Middle School couples stream restoration of Rocky Brook Creek in the municipal park with stream water quality testing by OMS students. At Trinity Christian School, SWaMP funded the installation of a rain harvesting project, in which two 1,700 gallon barrels collect rain from the school’s roof. That system is expected to supply the water for the school’s restrooms and outdoor garden plot.

Also in the planning stages are subdivision pollution-trapping structures, rural stream renovations, and additional school and community outreach projects.

SWaMP obtains its funds through a grant from ADEM and EPA Region 4, and is coordinated through the Auburn University Fisheries Department. AU staff who are instrumental in SWaMP’s success include director Dr. Bill Deutsch and co-coordinators Eric Reutebuch and Wendy Seesock. Opelika and Auburn city staff, including Matt Dunn of Auburn’s WRM department, also are closely involved with SWaMP projects.

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