The restoration includes removing artificial dams and human-made ponds, re-establishing palustrine wetland habitat, reconstructing and enhancing sections of the Van Campens Brook, relocating 1.6 miles of distribution line, and restoring the connection between Van Campens Brook and its floodplain.
Our team performed multiple pre-design studies to understand the ecological, biological and physical processes of the project area and regional landscape. WSP and NPS engaged in a collaborative design process that integrated the results of the pre-design studies along with the project goals and feedback received from NPS expert advisors.
The resulting design maximizes the ecological and functional uplift of the project area and avoids adverse impacts on rare and threatened species. Additionally, our team’s climate change evaluations informed the target depths to groundwater/design elevations through the project area to account for the anticipated higher level of saturation and flooding.