Riparian Restoration and Buffers

Skilled in a variety of disciplines, DRN has effectively restored and enhanced major sections of the Delaware River Basin. Since 1992, DRN’s Restoration Program has helped install over 80 projects throughout the watershed and provided technical assistance to over 100 conservation groups, municipalities, and private landowners. From its earliest work in the Cooper River and Schuylkill River tributary systems, DRN’s  has strived to implement innovative, cost-efficient, and ecologically sound restoration projects.

Successful projects have incorporated a myriad of techniques, including:

  • Invasive species control
  • Native vegetation establishment
  • Bioengineering stabilization
  • Aquatic habitat enhancement
  • Wetland creation and restoration
  • Stream and watershed assessment
  • Stormwater enhancement
  • Natural channel design

Some recent accomplishments include:

  • Bartram Park Restoration Project (Darby Creek, Darby Borough, PA)
    Addressed altered channel morphology through gravel bar removal and installation of several in-stream structures including stone deflectors, boulder clusters, and a 110-foot-long weir. This project was featured in the Journal of Erosion Control. Read it online.
  • Tinicum Creek Stream Restoration Assessment (Tinicum Creek, Ottsville, PA)
    DRN Restoration staff surveyed a half-mile of Tinicum Creek to complete a Rosgen Level III assessment and develop a conceptual restoration plan.
  • Emmaus Community Park (Leibert Creek, Emmaus, PA)
    Restored 1,100 linear feet of riparian buffer and wildflower meadows within a high use community park in Lehigh County. This project also included bank stabilization and fish habitat enhancement completed by Wildlands Conservancy and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
  • John Heinz Wildlife Refuge
    This 1,200-acre national wildlife refuge protects the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in the state of Pennsylvania, but invasive plants are degrading the marsh’s ecological integrity. DRN Restoration staff mapped plant community types, prioritized invasive species, developed target plant communities, and recommended short- and long-term actions for restoration of the wide variety of habitats found in the refuge. With input from the Friends of the Heinz Refuge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Restoration staff developed a plan to guide restoration, management and protection of the refuge for the next 10 years.

Have a Stream or Riparian Problem?
Are your streambanks eroding? Is your streamside forest overrun with invasive species? If you are suffering a stream or riparian problem, we may be able to help. Contact us at 215.369.1188.