PINE GROVE, Pa. — "We're ecstatic, very ecstatic. The whole crew, all of the partners that put this together, are really happy with everything. Best Christmas present we could've gotten," said bill Reichert, flood recovery manager for the Upper Swatara Creek.
Over the summer, this 10-acre wetland, which cost around $2.5 million in grants, was created in Pine Grove to help reduce future floods in an area that's seen a lot of devastating ones over the years. This was all designed to divert water from the creek into this area while also creating a wetland for wildlife.
The project passed its first test. Flooding concerns leading up to Christmas throughout our area were a non-factor in this part of Schuylkill County.
"The flooding event that would've happened here probably would've equaled prior events. We probably would've had around 100 homes and a whole number of businesses that would've been flooded. None of that happened, and we're ecstatic about that fact."
Reichert hopes that if this continues to work, it'll serve as a model that can be utilized by other communities.
"This, in our minds, is a showcase that we'd like to present to other people in how things should be handled with a more natural setting and a more natural environment."
If so, it would ease the anxiety of many people who live in flood zones.