Stormwater Management on a Watershed Basis – the Paxton Creek Initiative

The Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) and Paxton Creek Watershed and Education Association (PCWEA) are developing a program to address stormwater impacts on a watershed basis, within several Pennsylvania municipalities in the Harrisburg area. SRBC and PCWEA will work closely with the watershed municipalities to explore innovative and cost-effective ways to establish a stormwater management structure for Paxton Creek Watershed, use demonstration projects to improve water quality, and test sustainable funding mechanisms using public/private partnerships. In addition, SRBC and PCWEA will conduct a public outreach and education campaign to promote stormwater management on a watershed basis. The project will produce output in two categories: management and demonstration projects. The management portion of the study will test various multi-jurisdictional stormwater management structures and demonstrate how these structures may interact with public agencies, commercial entities, and residential/citizen groups to control and reduce stormwater runoff. Special emphasis will be placed on developing economic incentives for reducing stormwater runoff, as well as an educational program to reduce the concentrations of nutrients and other contaminants in runoff (i.e., lawn fertilizers). Upon completion of the study, a stormwater management structure appropriate for the Paxton Creek Watershed will be established and made available for use in other suitable watersheds, both statewide and possibly nationwide. Five demonstration projects will test various management scenarios for public, residential, and commercially controlled lands. Stormwater runoff from over 30 acres of developed land will be channeled through stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) ranging from infiltration/filtration practices to wetland complexes. In addition, approximately 4,000 feet of adjacent urban/suburban stream corridor will be rehabilitated and stabilized. A relatively small amount of nutrients and sediments will be removed by the demonstration projects, but the successful implementation of these projects will lead to significant reductions when implemented on a watershed basis using a successful, innovative management model. Other benefits include reducing flooding, and human health threats from combined sewer overflows