At a Glance
Adherence to a regimented water quality monitoring program and redundant erosion and sediment control measures will help protect the biological diversity of Seneca Creek for generations to come.
Project Description
Gateway Commons, situated on 45 acres of rolling farmland, surrounds an unnamed, first order, tributary which flows offsite and enters Little Seneca Creek. Due to its ecological significance, Seneca Creek and its tributaries have been designated by Montgomery County as a Special Protection Area (SPA). Land disturbances within SPAs require measures during construction to minimize sediment loading. They also require extensive water quality monitoring to ensure minimal impact to biological resources.
Applying years of expertise in ecological assessment and conservation planning, Biohabitats developed and implemented a water quality monitoring program and provided guidance on erosion and sediment control measures. The project involved the relocation of a major roadway through the center of the property and the development of a residential/commercial community. Biohabitats worked with the land owner to develop several goals for the project, including: minimize storm flow runoff, minimize increases in ambient water temperatures, minimize reductions in stream base flows, reduce suspended solids and control toxic substances from entering the stream.
Biohabitats then developed and implemented a multi-year monitoring program to measure stream temperature during the summer and stream flow and groundwater levels throughout the year. In order to develop a rating curve, Biohabitats measured stream velocity to determine stream discharge.