Bethel Park municipal officials broke ground on Sept. 9 for an approximate two-month Saw Mill Run Stream stabilization project to stabilize about 350 feet of stream bank to Saw Mill Run off of Milford Drive.
“Over the years, this section of the stream has really changed, and this project will help stabilize the stream banks, along with improving our stormwater management of the area,” council president Tim Moury said.
According to municipal engineering director Stacey Graf, the project will mitigate the erosion problem within the headwaters of the stream.
“Many streams in Western Pennsylvania have highly eroded banks, property being lost, fallen trees, exposed sewers and vegetation being swept away,” she said. “As the severity of the rainfall events are changing, this scenario is playing out all over the municipality.”
The effort will be geared towards reducing sediment in Saw Mill Run. To accomplish stream stabilization, the energy of the stream will be taken from the banks and directed back to the center of the channel.
Gateway Engineering designed the project.
“This is a project that is trying to improve the environmental health of the stream,” said Gateway Engineering consultant Scott Baker. “Boulder cascades, rock cross vanes, log rollovers and root wads will all be used within the stream to slow its velocity and decrease bank erosion. Additionally, we’ll be using bank stabilization techniques including branch layering, stream bank regrading, outfall protection and gravel bar removal. A buffer seed mix will also be planted to help stabilize the stream.”
The project is being funded in part by a Growing Greener Grant through the Department of Environmental Protection.
