Upload
others
View
8
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 1
Report for PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources,Project # BRC-TAG-19-141
Completed by Pennsylvania Environmental Council with Support from Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration Advisory Committee
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization ReportDecember 2017
2 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Introduction
Grant Tasks
Task 1. Ecological Restoration Assessment and Prioritization
Task 1.1 Stakeholder Outreach
Task 1.2 Data Collection and Site Visits
Task 1.3 Confirmation of Prioritization Factors and Site Ranking
Task 1.4 Wetland Delineation and Ecological Analysis
Task 1.5 Identification of Ecological Restoration Priorities
Task 2. Landowner Outreach and Engagement
Steps to Finalize Preliminary Draft Report
List of Tables, Appendices & Figures
References
Appendices
Appendix A. Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration Advisory Committee
Appendix B. Neshaminy State Park Ecological Enhancement Design Concepts
Appendix C. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PINDI) Receipts & Agency Review Letters
Appendix D. Philadelphia Water Assessment of Shoreline Ecological Restoration
Appendix E. Wetland Delineation Maps
Appendix F. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Jurisdictional Determination
Appendix G. AD Marble Bog Turtle Report
Appendix H. Detailed Score Sheet
Appendix I. Stakeholder and Public Meeting Notes 83
3
4
67
7
7
192426
35
36
37
38
3939
40
51
6567
707480
This project was financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 3
Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)
prepared this draft Bensalem Greenway
Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report
under Pennsylvania Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant # BRC-
TAG-19-141. Ecological restoration opportunities
along the Bensalem Greenway were assessed
and prioritized including areas along and nearby
the Delaware River. The goal of this assessment
is to identify and promote ecological restoration
opportunities as the greenway trail is planned and
developed. The conservation and restoration of
Delaware Riverfront and nearby upland habitats
will enable trail users to see and experience
aquatic and terrestrial natural resources as they
bike, walk, and/or otherwise enjoy the greenway.
The greenway study area consists of Bensalem
Township between Neshaminy and Poquessing
Creeks, from the Delaware River back to the
Amtrak rail corridor. Unique habitats in the study
area include Atlantic Coastal Plain forests and
wetlands. This includes pockets of imperiled
sweet gum-oak forests and rare freshwater tidal
wetlands.
To complete this work, PEC assessed ecological
resources and related site conditions in the
study area using existing studies and collecting
additional information through site visits, a river’s
edge paddle survey, and Google Earth reviews.
PEC correlated this resource inventory with
parcel ownership to identify ecological restoration
and enhancement opportunities. To do this PEC
applied habitat, site-wide, and recreational scoring
criteria to assess current conditions and estimate
the potential “ecological uplift” that could follow
restoration activities.
PEC calculated current condition and potential
ecological uplift scores for 37 riverfront parcels
Executive Summary
and 57 upland parcels. PEC reviewed these
scores to identify higher priority ecological
restoration opportunities. The higher priority
restoration opportunities include:
• Sites along the banks of the Delaware River
and Neshaminy Creek with forested and
wetland habitats that are currently state
and county parklands, as well as larger
private land holdings such as the Waterside
Development that have riverfront intertidal
wetlands. Examples of ecological restoration
opportunities include enhancement and
expansion of intertidal wetlands, and
enhancement of forest understory;
• Upland areas including public and private
lands with coastal plain forests and wetlands
could receive similar restoration treatments.
Sections of small tributary streams within these
reaches that currently flow through concrete channels could also be graded and planted to
restore more natural pools and riffles;• Wetland areas interspersed within commercial
areas could also be enhanced and restored;
• Connections within and between waterfront
and forested habitat corridors could also be
better connected to improve habitat corridors.
PEC conducted a more focused evaluation of the
greenway trail alignment through Bucks County
Park and Andalusia Foundation lands in the
center of the greenway. These parcels are mostly
undeveloped and contain wetlands and coastal
plain forests. PEC contracted with AD Marble to
complete a wetland delineation, bog turtle habitat
assessment, and other species of special concern
review in order to locate an alignment on these
two properties that avoids and minimizes trail
construction impacts. Based on the results of these
assessments a 50 foot wide trail alignment area
was identified through which a 10 to 12 foot wide
trail will be located.
PEC initiated and is continuing to conduct
landowner outreach and engagement efforts
to promote restoration projects. PEC issued a
preliminary draft report for review and comment
among advisory committee stakeholders,
landowners in the study area, and other public and
private stakeholders. PEC notified landowners with higher priority restoration sites about the
study and inquired about their interest in pursuing
restoration opportunities. Three public meetings
were held to present report findings. PEC incorporated comments recieved from Advisory
Committee members and other stakeholders. This
draft final report is being submitted to PA DCNR for final review and approval.
4 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC)
initiated work on this Bensalem Greenway
Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report
project in May of 2014 under a Pennsylvania
Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources (DCNR) grant (Project # BRC-
TAG-19-141). One goal of the DCNR grant is
to assess and prioritize ecological restoration
opportunities along the Bensalem Greenway
including sites on and adjacent to the Delaware
River. PEC’s William Penn Foundation Trails and
Greenway grant also supports this ecological
restoration work.
The Bensalem Greenway is a part of the East
Coast Greenway, an initiative to create a multi-
use trail system that links cities and towns
along the Eastern Seaboard from Maine to
Florida. PEC is working with Bensalem Township
and other partners on East Coast Greenway
trail development in Pennsylvania between
Morrisville and Marcus Hook. The Bensalem
Greenway portion of the trail follows the State
Road corridor for approximately four miles; this
corridor is parallel to and a short distance from
the Delaware River.
As the greenway trail is planned and developed,
trail developers are pursuing opportunities to
link trail users to adjacent and nearby cultural,
historical, recreational, and natural resource
points of interest. This report documents
activities performed by PEC and partners to
assess natural resource features and identify
ecological restoration opportunities along
the Bensalem Greenway alignment, focusing
on the Delaware River shoreline and nearby
uplands. PEC considered the study area to be
Bensalem Township land between Neshaminy
and Poquessing Creeks, from the Delaware River
back to the Amtrak rail corridor (Figure 1).
To complete this work, PEC assessed ecological
resources and related site conditions along
the Bensalem Greenway corridor using existing
information and collecting additional information
via site visits and a shoreline survey. PEC
correlated this resource inventory with parcel
ownership to identify ecological restoration and
enhancement opportunities.
PEC has and will continue to integrate the
findings of this work into regional and local initiatives focused on land revitalization,
recreation, and ecological restoration. This
work complements work completed by PEC just
down river in Philadelphia (see Philadelphia
North Delaware River Greenway Ecological
Assessment and Prioritization Report,
November 2009). PEC and partners have
initiated ecological restoration projects following
recommendations made in that 2009 report
(e.g. Glen Foerd stream bank restoration and
Bridesburg Riverfront Park). Likewise, efforts to
initiate ecological restoration projects along the
Bensalem reach are also underway.
Introduction
Neshaminy State Park Delaware River Shoreline
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 5
6 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
This report aligns with DCNR Project # BRC-
TAG-19-141 scope of work Tasks 1 and 2 as
follows:
Task 1 Ecological Restoration Assessment and
Prioritization
Task 1.1 Stakeholder Outreach: Summary of
outreach effort that focused on stakeholders
who own and manage land, and on
organizations and agencies that collect or
who have access to natural resource data.
This included the formation of an Advisory
Committee.
Task 1.2 Data Collection and Site Visits:
Summary of available natural resource reports,
GIS layers, and other information. Identification and collection of additional data needed for site
prioritization and ranking.
Task 1.3 Confirmation of Prioritization Factors and Site Ranking: PEC adapted prioritization
factors used to evaluate tidal, riverbank, and
adjacent upland areas along the Philadelphia
North Delaware River Greenway. PEC updated
these factors to reflect data available for the Bensalem Greenway area, and to address
the wider upland footprint considered for the
Bensalem riverfront. Habitat, site-wide and
recreational prioritization factors and scoring
criteria were used to rank ecological restoration
opportunities.
Task 1.4 Wetland Delineation and Ecological
Analysis: PEC and the project team including
subcontractor AD Marble conducted a more
focused investigation of wetlands, bog turtle
habitat, and species of concern on Bucks County
and Andalusia Foundation lands that are on
the proposed greenway trail alignment. This
includes the Bucks County-owned park land on
the south side of State Road between Station
Avenue and Gravel Pike, contiguous Bucks
County park land on the north side of State Road
from Gravel Pike to Kings Lane, and Andalusia
Foundation property on the north side of State
Road. This delineation and assessment work
was conducted to determine the best route for
the greenway trail through these open space
properties.
Task 1.5 Identification of Ecological Restoration Priorities: Drawing from Task 1 data collection
activities, the habitat, site-wide and recreational
prioritization factors were applied to individual
parcels in the study area to identify ecological
restoration opportunities.
Task 2 Landowner Outreach and Engagement
Landowners for some of the larger parcels in
the Bensalem Greenway area were included on
the Advisory Committee. Additional landowner
outreach is underway based on the preliminary
findings of the ecological assessment and prioritization report. Landowner outreach and
engagement is focusing on two goals:
• The first goal is to gain landowner approval for decisions made regarding the alignment
of the greenway trail on their properties;
• The second goal is to identify landowners
interested in pursuing ecological restoration
and stewardship projects on their property,
focusing on those with higher priority
ecological restoration opportunities.
Grant Tasks
Bucks County Park Shoreline Trail
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 7
Task 1.1 Stakeholder Outreach
PEC formed an Advisory Committee for the
ecological assessment and prioritization work
(see list of members in Appendix A). The
Advisory Committee includes representatives
from agencies, local governments, non-profits, and landowners. Landowners such as Bucks
County Parks and the Andalusia Foundation
were also periodically updated on the status of
project activities.
PEC has coordinated with the Committee
via emails, phone calls, site visits, and
teleconferences/meetings. Committee members
have provided information on available resource
documents and GIS layers, and commented
on ecological restoration assessment and
prioritization criteria. PEC continues to work with
Committee members to prepare this report and
to access individual parcels for assessment and
project promotion activities.
PEC also contacted landowners in the study
area by letter, focusing on those with higher
priority ecological restoration opportunities.
Landowners were invited to review the study’s
findings, receive a site visit to evaluate ecological restoration opportunities on or near
their property, and attend a public meeting.
Specific landowner engagement activities are summarized under the Task 2 Landowner
Outreach and Engagement section of this
report.
Task 1. Ecological Restoration Assessment and Prioritization
Task 1.2 Data Collection and Site Visits
PEC surveyed the Advisory Committee and conducted internet searches to identify and compile
available reports, GIS layers, and other information containing information on site conditions,
ecological and natural resource features, land use, and parcel ownership. Site visits were also
conducted to gather additional information. These data were compiled and applied to the ecological
restoration site assessment and prioritization protocol defined in Task 1.3.
Neshaminay State Park Delaware River Shoreline
8 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Resource Documents
Resource documents identified by the Advisory Committee and/or through internet searches are
listed in the Reference Section. A summary of
the documents and preliminary findings are as follows:
PA Natural Heritage Program Interactive Map
accessed March 2015 and April 2016
The Program identifies seven Natural Heritage Areas (NHA) in the study area including those
listed below with their locations shown on Figure
2:
1. Neshaminy State Park: Tidal marsh and
mature coastal plain forest;
2. Neshaminy Creek fresh water tidal marsh
and river bank just above State Road Bridge;
3. Columbus Country Club: Small riverfront wetland and disturbed riparian forest;
4. Pen Ryn and Bucks County Parks River
Access: Sweet gum-oak coastal plain forest,
freshwater intertidal mudflat;5. Pen Ryn Woods: Low, wet coastal plain
woods, sweet gum-oak coastal plain and
three plant species of concern;
6. Mud Island: Fresh water tidal marsh
community;
7. Delaware River Shoreline around and
downriver from Mud Island: Freshwater tidal
habitat with species of concern such as salt-
marsh water-hemp and subulate arrowhead.
The Natural Heritage Area web site also provides
a description of the Sweet Gum – Oak Coastal
Plain Forest, noting that this type of forest
is restricted to the level, sandy soils of the
Coastal Plain. Characteristic species include
Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum), Quercus falcate (southern red oak), Quercus phellos (willow oak), Quercus alba (white oak), Fagus grandifolia (American beech), Acer racemosa
(fetter-bush), Lyonia mariana (stagger-bush),
Clethra alnifolia (sweet pepper bush), Kalmia
latifolia (mountain laurel), and sometimes Ilex
opaca (American holly) (Terrestrial & Palustrine
Plant Communities of Pennsylvania, by Jean
Fike).
Bucks County, Pennsylvania Natural Areas
Inventory Update, March 2011
The Bucks County Natural Areas Inventory
lists the study area as being in the Atlantic
Coastal Plain Conservation Landscape. This
physiographic province falls in a narrow band
along the Delaware River in southeastern
Pennsylvania. This area is located in the upper
reaches of the Delaware Estuary. While it has
a tidal gradient (high to low tide) of nearly 2
meters, the water is considered fresh with
chloride levels below 250 ppm. The Natural
Areas Inventory documents that remaining
pockets of coastal plain forests are found in
the study area at Neshaminy State Park and
Pen Ryn Woods, including critically imperiled
sweetgum – oak coastal plain forests.
The Inventory also lists critically imperiled
freshwater intertidal marsh, with expanses of
tidal marsh located along the lower section of
Neshaminy Creek and in Neshaminy State Park.
Core areas identified for protection in the Inventory include:
• Neshaminy State Park including the
freshwater tidal marshes that border
Neshaminy Creek and the Delaware River
(Natural Heritage Area 1 on Figure 2);
• The eight acre parcel along Neshaminy
Creek just to the Northwest (upstream) of
the State Road Bridge is described as an
excellent example of high marsh featuring a
large stand of wild rice, a Pennsylvania rare
species, plus other state endangered plants
(Natural Heritage Area 2 on Figure 2);
• Pen Ryn Woods and Station Avenue River
Access, which includes 75 acres of mature
forests including mature sweet gum – oak
coastal plain forests, sand barrens on old
dredge soil deposits, and small wetland
areas. While bulk heads have eliminated
tidal marsh, the Inventory recommends that
now deteriorating walls be removed in places
to allow for the restoration of tidal marsh
(Natural Heritage Area 4 on Figure 2).
Bucks County Open Space and Greenways Plan
(2011)
The Bucks County Open Space and Greenway
Plan lists the East Coast Greenway, which
includes the Bensalem Greenway where it
traverses Bensalem Township along State Road.
The Plan also includes the Neshaminy Main
Stem-Lower Bucks County Greenway, with its
third segment entering the study area along
Haunted Lane and ending at Neshaminy State
Park.
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 9
Pennsy
lvania
New Je
rsey
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Boat Access
Area
Win
ks Ln
Deleware River
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Boat Access
Area
Win
ks Ln
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Boat Access
Area
Win
ks Ln
Deleware River
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Win
ks Ln
1. Neshaminy
State Park
3. Columbus
County Club
2. Neshaminy
Creek
5. Pen Ryn
Woods
4. Pen Ryn &
River Access
6. Mud Island
7. Deleware
River Shoreline
Figure 2. Bensalem Greenway
Natural Heritage AreasBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
N
Natural Heritage AreasSTUDY AREA
Image Source: NAID2015 Dept of Agriculture
Data Source: PA Natural Heritage Program (PNHP)
10 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Bensalem Greenway Master Plan, September
2012
This document details a preferred alignment for
the Bensalem Greenway Trail along the State
Road Corridor. The document recognizes that
the future trail may bring the public into close
proximity to sensitive natural areas, offering
opportunities for educational and interpretive
engagement. The document also notes that the
protection and conservation of sensitive natural
resources should remain a priority of the trail
plan. Figure 3 shows Bensalem Greenway and
Neshaminy Creek Greenway trail alignments.
Bucks County Waterfront Revitalization Plan, February 2005
This Waterfront Revitalization Plan “seeks to
improve access to the riverfront and promote
targeted economic development. It envisions
a vibrant and accessible waterfront with a
public riverwalk flanked by natural areas, stable existing communities complemented by vibrant
new businesses and residential uses.” The
plan calls for increasing and improving public
access to the Delaware River, and fostering
environmental sustainability by restoring
riverbanks and floodplains to more natural conditions. The plan calls for restoration of
the Delaware River throughout the study area;
Tidal Delaware River Water Trail Map and Guide
The Tidal Delaware River Water Trail runs
through the study area (From river mile 111
at Poquessing Creek to river mile 116 at
Neshaminy State Park. This reach of the water
trail is shown on the Philadelphia Section
Map (River Miles 113-90) and the Trenton-to-Philadelphia Section Map (River Miles 137-112). The water trail maps show boat ramps,
kayak launch sites, and points of interest such
as parks and historical sites. See http://www.
tidaltrail.org/trail-map for Tidal Delaware River
Water Trail maps.
The Plan further includes the Tidal Delaware
River Water Trail. Tidal Delaware River Water
Trail maps and web site(http://wwwtidaltrail.org)
show the locations of boating access and points
of interest in the study area.
Lower Delware River Conservation Plan,
September 1999
The Conservation Plan includes management
options for municipal and regional
implementation. The Plan identifies Bensalem Township key projects and implementation
strategies that relate to Delaware River
restoration, including the following:
• Study need for riparian restoration and
erosion/sediment controls and implement
a demonstration project on a selected
municipal site;
• Update Township Comprehensive plan and
zoning/subdivision ordinance to address
preservation and conservation of existing
significant and sensitive natural features;• Acquire properties and access easements
to complete greenway protection efforts and
develop a recreational trail network.
restoration guidelines include:
• Preserve existing intact floodplain and natural stream banks;
• Reduce impervious material with the 100-
year flood plain;• Develop stream bank restoration projects;
• Promote native plant usage for stabilization
of river banks;
• Remove human-made impediments or
impoundments and then re-plant native
species;
• For all new development and
redevelopment, mandate a 100-foot riparian
buffer along the Delaware River and its
tributaries, populated with native plant
species.
The Plan shows public park and open space
lands at Salem Harbour, Pen Ryn Manor, and
Neshaminy State Park.
Bensalem Township Open Space Plan (2002)
(with 2010 updates).
The Open space plan includes designated open
space at Neshaminy State Park and Pen Ryn
(currently state and county parks, respectively).
The plan has three goals:
• Create linkages between people and parks
(including creating Delaware River Trail and
the purchase of key properties to safely
access the Delaware River);
• Implement a natural resource protection
strategy (including the establishment of a
minimum riparian buffer overlay district,
and a grant funding program for voluntary
restoration of stream banks and habitat);
• Establish safe access to the waterfront.
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 11
Pennsy
lvania
New Je
rsey
Deleware River
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
State Rd
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Station Ave
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Expre
ssway
(95) Nashaminy State Park
Boat Access
Area
Win
ks Ln
Pen Ryn
Mansion
Deleware River
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
State Rd
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Station Ave
Cornwells
Heights Station
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Expre
ssway
(95) Nashaminy State Park
Boat Access
Area
Win
ks Ln
Pen Ryn
Mansion
Deleware River
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
State Rd
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Station Ave
Cornwells
Heights Station
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Expre
ssway
(95) Nashaminy State Park
Boat Access
Area
Win
ks Ln
Pen Ryn
Mansion
Deleware River
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
State Rd
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Station Ave
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Expre
ssway
(95) Nashaminy State Park
Boat Access
Area
Win
ks Ln
Pen Ryn
Mansion
SalemSalemHarborHarbor
Figure 3. Bensalem Greenway
Proposed TrailsBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Proposed Trails
STUDY AREA
Image Source: NAID2015 Dept of Agriculture
Bensalem East Coast Greenway
Neshaminy Creek Greenway
Other East Coast Greenway Trail Segments
12 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Bucks County Comprehensive Plan, 2011
The Bucks County Comprehensive Plan “seeks
to set forth a common vision of the future of
Bucks County and to coordinate, educate,
and guide development and preservation in
appropriate areas of the county.
Map 6 in the Plan places the study area
in the Atlantic Coastal Plain Conservation
Landscape. Map 8 in the Plan identifies Water Quality Classifications for Streams, showing the Delaware River, Poquessing Creek, and
Neshaminy Creek as warm water fisheries and with Migratory Fishes. Map 5 (not to scale) in
the Plan envisions Future Land Uses including
a Natural Resource/Conservation Area along
the Delaware River, Neshaminy Creek, and
Poquessing Creek in the Bensalem Township
area (see Figure 4). The Future Land Use map
also shows Employment Areas further inland
in the Township, and Mature Suburban Areas
along the southern reach of the Delaware River
shoreline in Bensalem and further inland.
The Comprehensive plan also maps current
land use, showing a diverse mix of residential,
commercial, manufacturing, undeveloped, and
publically owned uses. Bensalem Township
designated land uses are shown on Figure 5.
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 13
Figure 5. Bensalem Greenway
Land UseBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Data Source: PASDA, Bensalem GIS
Land Use Categories
RURAL RESIDENTIAL
SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
COMMERCIAL
MINING & MANUFACTURING
CIVIC & INSTITUTIONAL
TRANSPORTATION
AGRICULTURAL
PARKS, REC, & PROTECTED OPEN SPACE
VACANT
STUDY AREA
PARCELS
Image Source: NAID2015 Dept of Agriculture
14 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Neshaminy Creek Crossing Project East Coast
Greenway (ECG) Feasibility Study & Ecological Assessment, December 2013
This document assesses the feasibility of
potential Bensalem Greenway Trail routes where
the trail crosses Neshaminy Creek between
Bristol Township and Bensalem Township. The
document also identifies ecological restoration opportunities in Neshaminy Creek Park near the
trail alignments. Four ecological enhancement
opportunities are listed below; design concepts
for the enhancements provided in Section 6
of the Neshaminy Creek Crossing report are
included in Appendix B.
• Area 1 Wetland Creation
• Area 2 Vernal Pool Creation
• Area 3 Reforestation• Area 4 Delaware River Erosion Control
Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI)
Project Environmental Review Receipts for Bensalem Greenway Corridor
PEC first ran a PNDI search for the Bensalem Greenway study area on April 9, 2013, considering the broader footprint of land from
the Delaware River’s edge inland to the Amtrak
right of way (1,365.5 acres). The PNDI Project Environmental Review Receipt required further
review from the PA Game Commission, the
PA Fish and Boat Commission, and the PA
Bureau of Forestry. The Receipt included a
list of DCNR botanical species with a current
status of “Special Concern,” “Threatened,” or
“Endangered.”
PEC ran a second PNDI search on January 23, 2014, that focused more narrowly on the trail
alignment along State Road (253.4 acres). The Receipt included a similar conclusion as that
noted above for the broader study area PNDI
search.
A third PNDI search was conducted by AD Marble
on November 6, 2015, focusing just on
The Bensalem Greenway trail alignment,
Section B, Segments 10 & 11. This area
includes Bucks County park land and Andalusia
property along State Road 9 (72.4 acres). The
Receipt required further review by the PA Fish
and Boat Commission and DCNR. AD Marble
contacted the PA Fish and Boat Commission,
who responded that “given the nature of the
proposed project, the immediate location,
or the current status of the nearby element
occurrence(s), no adverse impacts are expected
to the species of special concern.” A similar
letter submitted to DCNR indicated species or
resources of concern are located in the project
vicinity, including Quercus phellos (willow oak), Quercus falcata (southern red oak), Woodwardia areolata (netted chainfern), and Leucothoe
racemosa (swamp dog-hobble).
Copies of the PNDI Receipts and PA Fish and
Boat Commission and DCNR review letters are
included in Appendix C.
Bensalem Waterfront Master Plan (Bensalem 2018 Regulating Code for River Renaissance in New Bensalem; electronic version provided by
Matt Takita of Bensalem Township)
PEC reviewed the draft version of the Bensalem
2018 Regulating Code for River Renaissance
in New Bensalem. This Code was developed for
a waterfront redevelopment master plan; see
Figure 6 Master Plan). The Plan includes a T-1
Natural Transect Zone and associated reserved
open space. Recommendations for ecological
restoration within the Natural Transect Zone
are provided in the Task 1.5 section, including
recommendation that the Natural Resource
Transect and reserved open space areas
establish and/or maintain continuity and
connections between adjacent natural resource
areas such as open space lands, the Delaware
Riverfront, and stream corridors.
Salem Harbour Delaware River Shoreline
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 15
Neshaminy State
Park
Pen Ryn
Woods
Figure 6. Bensalem 2018 Master PlanFigure 6. Bensalem 2018 Waterfront Master Plan
16 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
GIS Layers
PEC searched for GIS layers that show resources, land uses, and other features in the study area.
PEC used the GIS information to support the ecological restoration assessment and prioritization
work. PEC obtained GIS layers from the Pennsylvania Spatial Data Clearing House (PASDA),
Bensalem Township, and AD Marble (via grant subcontract). The GIS layers and other map resources
compiled and consulted for the assessment/prioritization work are listed in Table 1.
Table 1. GIS & Map Resources
Description Source
National Wetland Inventory U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (US FWS) (2009)
Flood Plains Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (2012)
Land Use Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) (2015)
Streams/Water features PA Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) (2015)
Aquatic Resources AD Marble Map drawing from USFWS NWI 2015, FEMA 2013, & PASDA data layers
Topography (2ft intervals) DVRPC (2005)
Parks PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (2015)
Cultural ResourcesCultural Resources Geographic Information System (CRGIS);
PA Department of Transportation; and PA Historical & Museum Commission (2012)
Aerial Photography U.S. Department of Agriculture NAID (2015)
Riparian Buffer Assessment Heritage Conservancy (2012)
Soils U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Conservation Service (2012)
Bensalem Boundary
Bensalem Township (April 29, 2015 except May 18, 2015 for Parcels)
Road Centerlines
Right of Ways
Hydrology
Parcels
Parcel Boundaries & LandownersBucks County Bucksviewer parcels map at https://gisweb.co.bucks.pa.us/apps/bucksviewer https://
gisweb.co.bucks.pa.us/apps/Bucksviewer/
Potential Hazardous Waste Sites PA DEP – eMapPA (February 2017)
Navigation map National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) (2015)
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 17
Site Visits
Table 2. Site Visits
2014
June 16thWetland delineation request for proposal (RFP) tour of Bucks County
and Andalusia properties.
November 4th
Field view with Heritage Conservancy Staff (Kris Kern) to review
Neshaminy Creek and Bensalem Creek collaboration opportunities
and view proposed trail linkages within Lower Bucks County.
2015
March 16thField visit with DCNR state and regional officials to review and prioritize ecological restoration opportunities in Neshaminy State Park.
April 28thSite tour with AD Marble to assess Bucks County and Andalusia
wetlands.
June 10thSite visit (PEC and AD Marble) to walk trail alignment through Bucks
County and Andalusia properties.
August 20th Waterside Property and Salem Harbour site visits.
S e p t e m b e r
29th
Waterfront kayak tour of study reach between Neshaminy State Park/
Neshaminy Creek and Salem Harbour/Poquessing Creek.
October 30th Site walk on Pen Ryn and Andalusia properties.
2016March 16th Driving tour of entire study area.
May 26thDriving tour of trail alignment for review of green infrastructure
opportunities associated with trail right of way.
In addition to the above data collection effort, PEC conducted the following site visits to collect
additional information for the ecological prioritization and assessment work (see Table 2):
In addition to the site visits, PEC conducted site analyses using Google Earth. The following
categories of data were collected during the field visits and Google Earth analyses and incorporated into the prioritization/assessment work.
• Photographs (including photo logs);
• Presence of shoreline structures such as bulkheads and riprap;
• General types of shoreline vegetation such as mowed grass, meadows, or riverbank forests.
Bensalem Greenway Parcels Included in Ecological Prioritization Study
PEC considered a subset of the total parcels
present in the Bensalem Greenway study area.
PEC accessed Bensalem Township’s GIS parcel
layer to view the ownership patterns associated
with the study area. As shown in Figure 1,
the study area includes Bensalem Township
land between Neshaminy and Poquessing
Creeks, from the Delaware River back to the
Amtrak rail corridor. PEC included riverfront
and upland parcels in prioritization assessment
with the exceptions of commercial and smaller
residential parcels that are mostly covered with
impervious surfaces in the form of buildings,
roads, parking lots, and other structures.
Figure 7 shows the parcels included in the
prioritization assessment; they include riverfront
parcels numbered R-1 to R-37, and upland parcels numbered U-1 to U-57.
18 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Win
ks Ln
Deleware River
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Win
ks Ln
Nesham
iny Creek
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
State Rd
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Win
ks Ln
Deleware River
Trib
utar
y of
Nes
ham
iny
Cre
ek
Po
qu
essi
ng
Cre
ek
Marshall L
n
Street R
d
Statio
n A
ve
Hau
nted
Ln
/Totem
Rd
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Win
ks Ln
R-1
R-2
R-18
R-32
R-29
R-31R-30
R-28R-27
R-26
R-25R-24
R-23R-22
R-21R-19R-20
R-33
R-17
R-16R-15
R-14
R-13
R-12R-11
R10
R9
R-8
R-7R-6
R-5
R-4
R-3
R-34
U-1U-2
U-3 U-4U-5
U-7U-6
U-8U-9
U-14
U-11
U-12
U-13
U-10
U-15
U-16
U-18U-20
U-21
U-22U-23
U-19
U-17
U-57
R-37
U-25
U-26
U-27
U-28
U-29
U-54
U-55U-56
U-24
U-31
U-30
R-35
U-43
U-40U-41
U-46
U-37U-36
U-45
U-50
U-47
U-49
U-48
R-36
U-53
U-35U-34
U-33
U-32
U-39U-38
U-42U-44
U-51
U-52
Figure 5. Bensalem Greenway
Land UseBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Data Source: PASDA, Bensalem GIS
Land Use Categories
RURAL RESIDENTIAL
SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL
COMMERCIAL
MINING & MANUFACTURING
CIVIC & INSTITUTIONAL
TRANSPORTATION
AGRICULTURAL
PARKS, REC, & PROTECTED OPEN SPACE
VACANT
STUDY AREA
PARCELS
Image Source: NAID2015 Dept of Agriculture
Parcels Included In Study
UPLAND PARCELS (U)
RIVER-FRONT PARCELS (R)
STUDY AREA
PARCELS
Figure 7. Bensalem Greenway
Parcels Included in StudyBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 19
• Sections of riverfront and uplands that
include larger (multi-acre) residential and
State/County park parcels with open space
and natural resource features;
• Much of the shoreline along the downriver
reach of the study area has steeper slopes
and bulkheads/walls that limit opportunities
to expand intertidal wetlands;
• Sections of riverfront and uplands that
are developed with small, more densely
developed residential lots and commercial/
industrial enterprises, limiting restoration
opportunities;
• Wetland areas interspersed within the
centrally located commercial industrial
area just south of State Road. Planned
redevelopment in this area may offer
opportunities to restore and enhance habitat
areas and corridors within these upland and
riverfront areas.
Summary of Resource Documents, GIS Layers, and Site Visits
Past planning and natural resource assessment
documents have identified unique habitats in the study area such as Atlantic Coastal Plain
forests and freshwater intertidal wetlands. These
include pockets of imperiled sweetgum-oak
coastal plain forests. Likewise, Pennsylvania
Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Reviews report
a suite of threatened, endangered, and special
concern plants including aquatic, terrestrial, and
wetland species.
Because of the uniqueness and rareness of
these habitats, the planning documents call for
conservation and restoration measures (e.g.
Coastal Plain Conservation Landscape called
for in the Bucks County Comprehensive Plan,
including a Natural Resource/Conservation
Area along the Delaware River and tributaries).
Likewise, the Bucks County Waterfront
Revitalization Plan recommends increasing
and improving public access to the Delaware
River, and restoring riverbanks and floodplains. Bensalem Township’s Open Space Plan seconds
these recommendations, calling for linkages
between people and parks, and natural resource
protection including a riparian buffer overlay
district.
GIS layers highlight the locations of key natural
resource features such as wetlands, floodplains, and forest cover. Site visits and aerial (Google
Earth) views provide a general overview of the
current land use in the study area, including:
Task 1.3 Confirmation of Prioritization Factors and Site Ranking
PEC adapted prioritization factors used to
evaluate tidal, riverbank, and adjacent upland
areas along the Philadelphia North Delaware
River Greenway (2009). Stakeholder outreach
during the North Delaware River Greenway
assessment resulted in the identification of 11 general ecological restoration site-screening
criteria (see Table 3).
Table 3. Ecological Restoration Site
Screening Criteria
1. Bathymetry and benthic classification2. Shoreline type (engineered/natural)
3. Wetlands (freshwater tidal)
4. Species and habitat (fish, birds, other)5. Vegetation
6. Site access (for restoration and public)
7. Contaminant proximity (CSO’s, hazmat,
invasive)
8. Disturbance from wakes and currents
9. Operation/maintenance issues
10. Presence of cultural resources
11. Willing land-owners
These general criteria were further developed
into habitat, site-wide, and recreational
assessment and prioritization factors. PEC
updated the factors used for the adjacent North
Delaware River Greenway reach to reflect data available for the Bensalem Greenway area, and
to address the wider upland footprint considered
for the Bensalem riverfront. High, medium, and
low scores were assigned to each factor. The
updated habitat, site-wide, and recreational
prioritization categories and scoring criteria are
included in Tables 4, 5, and 6, respectively.
20 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Table 4: Habitat Scoring Factors
Location on
Riverfront
Gradient
Habitat
Features
Scoring Criteria Score
High = 3 Medium = 2 Low = 1
Upland
Forested,
scrub-
shrub,
meadow,
mowed turf
Size of parcel Greater than 5 acres 1 to 5 acres Less than 1 acre
Diversity of vegetation
Diverse, mixed aged, native
species, limited development (e.g.
single residence, less than 10
percent cover)
Patchy, mix of native and
ornamental/invasive species,
moderate development (10 to 40
percent)
Monoculture, ornamental (e.g. turf
grass) or invasive species, or more
than 40% covered by building/road
Natural resource features
High value, rare resources (e.g.
vernal pool, wetlands, mature
trees)
Present (e.g. mixture of native
plants and non-native/invasive
species)
None
Connectivity to adjacent
natural lands/habitats (e.g.
forests, native meadow,
buffered riparian corridors);
Length and characteristics
of edge (developed, invasive
species entry point)
Connected to surrounding habitat/
wildlife corridor with minimial edge
(forest, wetland, river/stream
corridor)
Connected to adjacent habitat
(but with over 50 % edge with
development/cleared land/high
invasive species potential)
Habitat island (isolated parcel)
Riparian
Forested,
scrub-
shrub,
meadow,
mowed turf
Vegetated riparian bufferExtensive shoreline cover (>90
%), width over 100 feet, forested
Moderate shoreline cover
(>50%) and/or single row of
trees (>90%)
Spotty or no trees/shrubs
Bank stability
Stable, evidence of erosion or
bank failure absent or minimal
(considering either natural or
hardened shorelines)
Moderate stability, areas of
erosion notedUnstable, many eroded areas
Excavation to achieve 5 to 1
slope or lesser slope (goal is
to restore living shorelines/
tidal wetlands)
Currently slope is less than 5 (run)
to 1 (rise)
Currently slope is 5 (run) to 1
(rise)
Areas with greater than 5 (run) to 1
(rise) slope
Intertidal
High marsh
vascular
plants,
low marsh
succulent
plants
Presence of intertidal wetlands Wetland along full shoreline Wetland on part of shoreline None on site
Shoreline armoring (e.g.
bulkhead, rip rap, natural)Lower armoring (0 to 25%)
Moderate armoring (25 to 75%
armoring; smaller riprap that
allows connection between
upland and intertidal)
Heavy armoring (75 to 100 %
armoring with bulkhead or large
riprap)
Protection from currents/
wakes
Well protected in cove, side
channel, or by on-site structures
Moderate protection (e.g. wave
deflection by nearby structures) Exposed
Hard or soft
bottom,
submerged
aquatic
vegetation
Submerged aquatic vegetation
(SAV)
Thriving (SAV prefers 3-5 foot
depth range)Small pockets Minimal
Substrate type
Complex habitat, can support
multiple communities with high
diversity and resiliency; contains
multiple substrate types; devoid of
trash, litter, other debris
More uniform habitat of one
or two substrate types, likely
supports lower community
diversity; devoid of trash, litter,
other debris.
Primarily trash and litter or
old infrastructure/fill/sea wall; looks resistant to community
development; would need larger
remediation effort.
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 21
Explanation of Habitat Scoring Factors
Each of the Figure 7 parcels in the study area
were evaluated and assigned scores for the
habitat factors. For selected habitat factors
shown in Figure 4 (that is, size of parcel,
protection from wakes, submerged aquatic
vegetation, and substrate), the same score
was assigned for both pre- and post-restoration
conditions. For the remaining criteria, separate
scores were assigned for pre- and post-
restoration conditions, under the assumption
that these variables are more subject to change
through restoration (e.g., you can excavate, you
can remove riprap, and you can plant a wider
riparian buffer). By making these changes, your
goal will be to increase the ecological value of
the shoreline or upland parcel.
The following considerations were made for
selected scoring criteria (as shown in Table 4):
• For diversity of vegetation, higher post
restoration scores were assigned for parcels
that currently have unpaved areas of
marginal habitat such as turf grass, fields, or forests with limited understory. Planting
native species in these areas would increase
diversity.
• For natural resource features, as the key
natural resource features reported in the
area are wetlands, higher post restoration
scores were assigned for parcels that have
the potential to expand/enhance existing
wetlands located within the upland matrix.
• For connectivity to adjacent natural lands/habitats, higher post restoration scores were
assigned for parcels that have the potential
to connect restored habitat areas with
adjacent habitat corridors.
• For vegetated riparian buffer, higher post
restoration scores were assigned if the
potential exists to create, extend or widen
a vegetated riverfront buffer on the parcel.
Parcels with tributary streams were also
assessed for current and future riparian
buffer habitat scores.
• For bank stability, higher post restoration
scores were assigned for parcels with eroded
areas that can be stabilized through grading
and replanting efforts.
• For the excavation to restore living shorelines requirement, PEC considered a
5 (run) to 1 (rise) or lesser slope as more
preferable for bank restoration (i.e. would
not require extensive grading to expand
riverfront wetlands). Higher post restoration
scores were assigned if the parcel had 5
to 1 or lesser slopes, and if there are no
structures (e.g. sea walls), land uses (e.g.
development right up to shoreline edge), or
existing riparian buffers (e.g. that we would
not want to disturb) that would discourage
bank restoration.
• For presence of tidal and non-tidal wetlands,
the same score was assigned for both
pre- and post-restoration conditions. The
potential for future expansion of wetlands is
addressed under other criteria (i.e. potential
to excavate and protection from currents/
wakes).
• For shoreline armoring, scores were
estimated from aerial photos and field observations; no linear measurements of
shoreline armoring were made. Higher post
restoration scores were assigned for parcels
that have the potential to reduce armoring
(for example, if they are not developed right
up to the armored areas and do not have
steeper slopes).
• For protection from currents/wakes, scores
were estimated from field observations, with some confirmation provided by presence of existing wetlands that are buffered from
high-energy environment. Higher post-
restoration scores were assigned where
the construction of a marsh sill or other
structure might be feasible, increasing
shoreline protection.
• For submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV),
higher post-restoration scores were assigned
if shoreline protection might be feasible,
thereby increasing habitat complexity
including improvements in SAV.
• For substrate type, higher post-restoration
scores were assigned if shoreline protection
might be feasible, leading to increased
substrate complexity via active restoration or
natural processes.
Bucks County Park Tributary
22 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Table 5: Site-Wide Scoring Factors
Scoring Criteria Score
High = 3 Medium = 2 Low = 1
1. Landowner interested in
restoration
High interest Medium interest Low interest or level of
interest unknown
2. Proximity to Contaminants
(including CSO’s, brownfields, chemical point sources, trash
collection points, outfalls and
intakes, and/or invasive plants).
None present on or
adjacent to site
Moderate potential
for contaminant
impacts (e.g.
adjacent
brownfields or stormwater runoff
pathway)
Present with adverse
impacts occurring
or likely to occur
(e.g. documented
contamination above
adverse effect levels)
3. Availability of follow-up for
O/M and stewardship.
Public site with O/M
staff or Friends Group
Private site with
O/M staff
Isolated site, little O/M
resources
4. Linear feet of shoreline
(based scoring on Philadelphia
Water assessment of ecological
restoration sites)
Greater than 1,500
feet
1,500 to 500 feet Less than 500 feet
5. Presence of threatened/
endangered/ listed species
Known to be present Potentially present No documentation of
presence
Explanation of Site-Wide Scoring Factors
Each of the Figure 7 parcels in the study area
were evaluated and assigned scores for the site-
wide factors, as shown in Table 5. Before and
after restoration scores were not estimated for
the site-wide factors, as for the most part these
factors are more static (though we do hope
that factors such as landowner willingness can
change through education and outreach). The
following considerations were made for scoring
criteria (as shown in Table 5):
• The willingness of landowner score was
estimated based on PEC’s current limited
knowledge of landowner interest. The scores
will be revised as landowner outreach is
expanded.
• The proximity to contamination factor score was estimated based on proximity
to potential hazardous waste concerns. PA
Department of Environmental Protection
eMap PA information was reviewed, showing
the presence of Toxic Release Inventory
sites, Brownfields, and Storage Tanks. Google Map information was also reviewed
to identify facilities that manage vehicle
fleets. Scores of 3 or 2 were assigned. No scores of 1 were assigned, as the available
information could not be used to confirm contamination.
• The availability of follow-up for O/M/Stewardship score was assumed based
on whether the site is a public/private
institution with land management staff
(score 2 to 3), or a private site (assumed score of 1).
• Linear feet of shoreline is viewed as
a physical factor, with longer and thus
potentially larger habitat areas scoring
higher. The scoring criteria (<1,500, 500
to 1,500, >500) were derived from a
Philadelphia Water assessment of ecological
restoration sites along the City’s shoreline
(see Appendix D).
• The presence of listed species score was
estimated based on the results of the
Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory
(PNDI) reports for the study area. A total
of 27 plant species were listed in the PNDI
reports as DCNR species, threatened
species, and endangered species (see
Appendix C). These include aquatic, wetland,
and terrestrial plant species, with the
majority being plants that occur in wetter
habitats such as marshes, swamps, mud
flats, shorelines, wetlands, and ditches. Others include plants such as southern red
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 23
Table 6: Recreation Scoring Factors
Scoring Criteria Score
High = 3 Medium = 2 Low = 1
1. Potential for Public
access to see/experience
restored resources
High current and/
or future use (e.g.
park with multiple
passive and active
uses including
fixed facilities such as boat launch or
interpretative trails)
Moderate current and/
or future use (e.g. public
access for passive/active
uses such as observation
area or trail access)
Limited/no current use
or future recreational
opportunities
2. Resources that have or
require buffer/separation
from public access (e.g.
threatened species)
Buffer present that
protects species
(e.g. inaccessible,
protected land)
Some buffer/protection No protection
3. Opportunity for green
infrastructure with
habitat elements to be
incorporated into East
Coast Greenway Trail
alignment.
Parcel includes or
is directly adjacent
to trail right-of-
way (ROW) and
has space readily
available for green
infrastructure
Parcel includes or is
directly adjacent to trail
ROW and but would
have constraints on
installation of green
infrastructure (e.g. based
on land use, size of site)
No potential for
green infrastructure
associated with trail
ROWExplanation of Recreation Scoring Factors
Human recreational use along the Delaware
River waterfront area is a significant factor to consider when identifying ecological restoration
opportunities. The Bensalem Greenway section
of the East Coast Greenway trail will traverse
the area, using mostly the State Road alignment
but offering connections to public access points
along the river. PEC views human use of the
riverfront as a driving factor in this ecological
restoration initiative. In additional to improving
fish and wildlife habitat, ecological restoration will improve recreational opportunities for a
sizable urban population in the area. Examples
of recreation include fishing, bird watching, hiking/biking, and nature study, along with more
passive uses/enjoyment of natural river views.
The following considerations were made for
the Table 6 scoring factors; before and after
restoration scores were not estimated:
• The potential for public access score
focused on public access points along the
river including parks and other open space
accessible to the public.
• The resources requiring buffering from public access score considered where
there was upland (e.g. forest) or shoreline
(e.g. wetland) habitat areas that were not
accessible to the public, offering some
degree of buffer protection to species using
the habitat.
• The opportunity for green infrastructure score focused on the proposed trail
alignment, considering where the narrow
(i.e. 10 feet) buffer along the trail could
potentially incorporate green infrastructure
such a vegetated bioswale or rain garden.
oak, willow oak, and American holly that
occur in the sweet gum-oak coastal plain
forest, which is itself a plant community
identified in the PNDI reports as a Special Concern Resource. Based on the potential
for listed species, scores of at least 2 were
assigned, and scores of 3 were assigned when the parcel is located in a designated
Natural Heritage Area.
24 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Task 1.4 Wetland Delineation and Ecological Analysis
The Bensalem Greenway reach includes several
parcels with extensive coastal plain forested
wetlands. These properties fall within proposed
Segments 10 and 11 of Section B and part of
segment 12 from Section C of the Bensalem
Greenway Master Plan (see Figure 8). They
include the Bucks County-owned park land on
the south side of State Road between Station
Avenue and Gravel Pike, contiguous Bucks
County park land on the north side of State Road
from Gravel Pike to Kings Lane, and Andalusia
Foundation property on the north side of State
Road.
These areas were identified early in the Greenway planning process as high priority
habitat areas. As a result, the DCNR grant
included wetland delineation and ecological
analysis tasks focused on determining the
best route for the greenway trail through these
properties. These lands provide an opportunity
for trail users to experience unique and rare
coastal plain habitats. The wetlands also provide
a challenge on how to best site the greenway
trail as it passes sensitive resource features.
Following a competitive bidding process, PEC
tasked subcontractor AD Marble to evaluate
potential trail right of ways through the Bucks
County and Andalusia properties. AD Marble
delineated wetlands, assessed for the presence
of bog turtle habitat, and assessed for the
presence of threatened and endangered
Segment 10
Segment 11
Segment 12
Section B
Section C
Proposed Crossing at Gravel Pike
State Rd
Statio
n A
ve
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Deleware River
State Rd
Statio
n A
ve
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
State Rd
Statio
n A
ve
State Rd
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Deleware River
Tennis Ave
Delew
are
Express
way (9
5)
Bucks
County
Property
Bucks
County
PropertyBucks
County
Property
Bucks
County
Property
Andalusia
Foundation
Andalusia
Foundation
Figure 8. Bensalem Greenway
Wetland & Ecological AnalysisBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
WETLAND & SPECIES OF SPECIAL
CONCERN FOCUS AREA
STUDY AREA
Image Source: NAID2015 Dept of Agriculture
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 25
species. The effort focused on determining
the best location to site a 10-12 foot trail right
of way through Segments 10 and 11 of the
Bensalem Greenway alignment. The goal of the
assessment is to determine an alignment that
avoids and/or minimizes resource impacts.
Wetlands
AD Marble conducted an initial review of the
properties and confirmed the presence of wetlands. For the Bucks County-owned park
land on the south side of State Road, AD Marble
delineated a wetland on low lying land on the
interior of the parcel (wetland 1). They located a
potential trail route that follows an existing social
trail that avoids this wetland. For the Bucks
County park land and Andalusia Foundation
property on the north side of State Road, AD
Marble identified more extensive wetlands. They observed that the strip of land directly parallel
to State Road is a mix of upland and wetland
areas, and offers the best location for a trail.
They identified and delineated four wetland areas within the 50-foot wide strip of land. These
wetlands that continue into the interiors of the
properties (wetland areas 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C)
(see Appendix E wetland maps).
AD Marble requested that the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (ACOE) conduct a Jurisdictional
Determination for these delineated wetlands.
An ACOE representative visited the site on
August 5, 2016, and concurred with the
wetland delineation boundaries reported by
AD Marble. The wetland delineation boundary
flags were then surveyed and this information
was forwarded to the ACOE on December
21, 2016, for the purpose of preparing a
Jurisdictional Determination report. The Army
Corps of Engineers formulated the jusidictional
determination report on March 1, 2017 (see
Appendix F).
Bog Turtle Habitat
AD Marble surveyed the five wetland sites (1, 2, 2A, 2B, and 2C) for the presence of bog
turtle habitat (see Appendix G report). They
reported the Wetland 1 did contain bog turtle
habitat but that no bog turtles were observed.
They reported that the other 4 wetlands were
not bog turtle habitat. They forwarded the bog
turtle report along with a Pennsylvania Natural
Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Environmental Review
on August 11, 2016, to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Fish and Wildlife responded on
September 12, 2016, that no federally listed
species under their jurisdiction are known or
likely to occur in the project area.
Other Threatened and Endangered and/or Special Concern Species and Resources
AD Marble conducted a Pennsylvania Natural
Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Environmental Review
of the project site and submitted the review to
the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
(PFBC) and the Pennsylvania Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR)
(see Appendix C PNDI Receipts).
PFBC reported on February 16, 2016, that
an element occurrence of a rare, candidate,
threatened, or endangered species under their
jurisdiction is known from the vicinity of the
proposed project. However, given the nature of
the proposed project, the immediate location,
or the current status of the nearby element
occurrence(s), no adverse impacts are expected
to the species of special concern (see Appendix
C Agency Review Letters).
PA DCNR, Department of Forestry responded on
February 5, 2016 (see Appendix C), noting that
species or resources of concern are located in
the project vicinity, and requested that botanical
surveys be conducted in the project vicinity for
the following species:
• Quercus phellos (willow oak)• Quercus falcata (southern red oak)• Woodwardia areolata (netted chainfern)
• Leucothoe racemosa (swamp dog-hobble)
Summary
Based on the presence of wetlands on the two
properties, AD Marble and PEC proposed a trail
alignment that minimizes trail construction
impacts on wetlands and bog turtle habitat.
The Appendix E maps show the 50 foot wide
corridor through which the approximately 10-
12 foot wide greenway trail will be located. The
additional botanical surveys requested by PA
DCNR should be conducted to determine if any
of these species are located in the proposed trail
right of way.
26 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Task 1.5 Identification of Ecological Restoration Priorities
Drawing from the Task 1.2 data collection
activities, the habitat, site-wide, and recreational
prioritization factors defined under Task 1.3 were applied to the individual parcels in the
study area to identify ecological restoration
opportunities. Before and after restoration
scores were calculated to estimate where
the greatest “ecological lifts” in habitat
improvements are possible.
A suite of ecological restoration techniques
can be considered to achieve these habitat
improvements. Potential restoration techniques
based on their location on the riverfront gradient
are listed in Table 7.
Table 7: Ecological Restoration Techniques
Location on Riverfront
Gradient
Type of restoration
Upland and river bank • Upland and river bank planting
• Regrade and/or replace/supplement river bank armoring with living
shoreline
Off channel aquatic • Wetlands in upland matrix
• Floodplain restoration
• Backchannels and associated wetlands
Intertidal shoreline • Excavate (e.g. wetland coves)
• Enhance tidal wetlands (low to high marsh)
• Create marsh sill or breakwater to protect wetlands from higher
energy wakes and currents.
Subtidal • Enhance structure and diversity
Ecological restoration opportunities can
be identified and prioritized by considering the overall site score, or by considering the
difference between current and post-restoration
conditions. Sites that scored higher than
others regardless of pre and post scores were
prioritized first. Sites with the highest potential for restoration “uplift” were also considered
in order to understand what factors drive the
potential for restoration “uplift.”
Site Assessment and Prioritization Results
The site assessment and prioritization scoring
results are interpreted in several ways,
considering both current condition and the
potential ecological uplift following restoration
activities. Scoring for riverfront versus upland
parcels is also considered. The following figures
present parcel site scores for the following
criteria:
• Figure 9: Total parcel scores based on
current conditions (combined habitat, site-
wide, and recreation scores)
• Figure 10: Scores based on habitat only
(current condition)
• Figure 11: Scores based on site-wide factors
only (current condition)
• Figure 12: Scores based on recreational
scores only (current conditions)
• Figure 13: Total parcel scores for upland parcels based on current conditions
• Figure 14: Total parcel scores based on
potential habitat restoration uplift
The specific scores for each factor on each parcel are included in the Appendix H Detailed
Spread Sheets.
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 27
Total site score based on current conditions (Figure 9):
Sites that received the highest ranking scores
based on current conditions are, as expected,
those that are along the banks of the Delaware
River and Neshaminy Creek that are currently
parklands. These sites score the highest
because they contain a mix of upland, river
bank, and intertidal habitats that contain fish and wildlife habitat and associated ecological
benefits. One of the parcels (R-14, Bucks County Parkland along Delaware River) also has a small
tributary stream that in some locations could
be restored (e.g. by removing the concrete flow channel and planting streamside native plants).
Many of the parcels also offer public access.
Overall, riverfront properties received scores
that ranged from 30 to 52, compared to upland parcels that had scores ranging from 16 to 29.
The ten highest scoring sites had scores ranging
from 40 to 52; these include:
• Score of 52 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware
River)
• Score of 49 for R-4, Mud Island (Delaware
River marshland)
• Score of 48 for R-35, Neshaminy State Park (interior and short frontage on
Neshaminy Creek)
• Score of 48 for R-36, Neshaminy State Park (frontage on Neshaminy Creek)
• Score of 46 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage along Delaware River)
• Score of 43 for R-14, Bucks County
Parkland along Delaware River
• Score of 41 for R-19, Waterside Phase 1
LLC (riverfront intertidal wetlands)
• Score of 40 for R-15, Bucks County Station
Ave. boat launch
• Score of 40 for R-3, Bucks County Economic Development Corporation (for
riverfront intertidal wetlands)
• Score of 40 for R-20, Redevelopment
Authority Bucks County at Waterside
(riverfront intertidal wetlands)
• Score of 40 for R-13, James Biddle property on Delaware River shoreline
12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 28
Current Score
29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 39 40 41 45 47 49 50 53
R-34R-33
R-20
R-3 R-14
R-19
R-35
R-4
R-36
R-13R-15
28 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Habitat higher-ranking sites (Figure 10):
When considering the habitat scoring factors
only, the scores ranged from 5 to 33. Once again, the highest scoring sites are on the
Delaware River and Neshaminy Creek shorelines
where a mixture of upland, riverbank, tributary
stream, and intertidal areas provide diverse
habitats. The ten highest scoring habitat sites
are listed below; eight of them are also in the top
ten overall score list. The other two top scoring
habitat sites are the Columbus Country Club
and the James Biddle property where a mix of
upland, tributary stream, wetland, and river’s
edge habitat areas are present.
• Score of 33 for R-4, Mud Island (Delaware River marshland)
• Score of 29 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware
River)
• Score of 28 for R-36, Neshaminy State Park (frontage on Neshaminy Creek)
• Score of 27 for R-35, Neshaminy State Park (interior and short frontage on
Neshaminy Creek)
• Score of 27 for R-3, Bucks County Economic Development Corporation
based on Delaware River’s edge intertidal
wetlands.
• Score of 27 for R-13, James Biddle property on Delaware River shoreline
• Score of 26 for R-26, Columbus Country
Club
• Score of 26 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage along Delaware River)
• Score of 26 for R-19, Waterside Phase
1 LLC for Delaware River shoreline and
wetlands.
• Score of 25 for R-20, Bucks County
Redevelopment Authority
• Score of 24 for R-14, Bucks County
Parkland along Delaware River
• Score of 24 for R-37, Torresdale Manor Improvement Association
• Score of 24 for R-27, SRI Landings
Association LP
Habitat Score
0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 33
R-26R-20
R-34
R-33
R-3 R-14
R-19R-13 R-27
R-37
R-35
R-4
R-36
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 29
Site wide higher ranking sites (Figure 11)
When considering site wide scoring factors
only, the scores ranged from 6 to 16. Riverfront
parcels dominate the top ten ranking parcels
(top scoring sites 1 through 8 in part due to the
“linear feet of shoreline” scoring category which
provides riverfront sites with extra points). The
Torresdale Manor Improvement Association
river’s edge parcel, Neshaminy State Parkland
along Neshaminy Creek, and the upland Bucks
County parkland north of State Road fell into
the top ten sites based on factors such as
availability of operation and maintenance
personnel and being located in Natural Heritage
areas. The top ten ranking sites are as follows:
• Score of 15 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware
River)
• Score of 14 for R-36, Neshaminy State Park (frontage on Neshaminy Creek)
• Score of 14 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage of park along Delaware
River)
• Score of 13 for R-35, Neshaminy State Park (interior and short frontage on
Neshaminy Creek)
• Score of 12 for R-15, Bucks County Station
Ave boat launch
• Score of 11 for R-14, Bucks County
Parkland along Delaware River
• Score of 11 for R-4, Mud Island (Delaware
River marshland)
• Score of 11 for R-37, Torresdale Manor Improvement Association (vegetated
shoreline and intertidal wetland area
fronting river)
• Score of 10 for U-43, Neshaminy State Park (mix of forest and intertidal wetland
along Neshaminy Creek above State Road)
• Score of 10 for U-13, Bucks County Parkland (forested wetland area north of
State Road
• Score of 10 for R-1, Salem Harbor
• Score of 10 for R-12, Andalusia
Foundation
Site-Wide Score
6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 155
R-34R-33
R-14
R-12
R-1
R-4
R-35
R-15
R-4
U-13U-43
R-36
R-37
30 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Recreational higher ranking sites (Figure 12)
The top scoring recreational parcel scores
ranged from 6 to 8 (all fifteen are listed below), with the highest scores driven by public access
and potential for green infrastructure along
the trail. The publicly owned parcels within
Neshaminy State Park and Bucks County
Parkland scored the highest, as expected.
Andalusia also scored in the higher category
based on the potential for green infrastructure to
be deployed along the trail right of way.
• Score of 8 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware River)
• Score of 8 for R-35, Neshaminy State Park (interior and short frontage on Neshaminy
Creek)
• Score of 8 for R-14, Bucks County
Parkland along Delaware River
• Score of 7 for U-13, Bucks County Parkland (forested wetland area north of
State Road)
• Score of 7 for U-14, Bucks County
Parkland (forested wetland area north of
State Road)
• Score of 6 for R-36, Neshaminy State Park (frontage on Neshaminy Creek)
• Score of 6 for R-33, Neshaminy State Park (frontage of park along Delaware River)
• Score of 6 for R-19, Waterside Phase 1
LLC (publicly accessible)
• Score of 6 for R-20, Redevelopment
Authority Bucks County at Waterside
• Score of 6 for R-18, Waterside Phase 1
LLC (publicly accessible)
• Score of 6 for U-10, Andalusia Foundation
north of State Road (planned right of way
for Bensalem Greenway)
• Score of 6 for U-11, Andalusia Foundation
north of State Road (planned right of way
for Bensalem Greenway)
• Score of 6 for U-43, Neshaminy State Park (mix of forest and intertidal wetland along
Neshaminy Creek above State Road)
• Score of 6 for U-31, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Dept. of Forests
• Score of 6 for U-51, Forested property
along Haunted Land that fronts Neshaminy
Trail, Bensalem Greenway trail, and
adjacent wetlands
• Score of 6 for U-57, Andalusia Foundation
north of State Road (planned right of way
for Bensalem Greenway)
3 4 5 6 7 8
Recreation
U-13
R-4
R-26
R-34
R-33
R-3R-14
R-19
R-35
U-14
R-20
R-18
U-10U-11
U-57
U-43
U-31
U-51
R-36
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 31
Total site scores for upland parcels based on current conditions (Figure 13)
Riverfront parcels overall score higher than
upland parcels based on the greater number
of scoring criteria applied to the waterfront.
While the highest scoring upland parcels (scores
of 29 and 31) are about 10 points below the riverfront parcel scores, there still are valuable
ecological restoration opportunities within the
upland matrix. Higher scores for upland parcels
(see top ten with scores ranging from 22 to 31 below) are driven by the presence of wetlands,
tributary streams, and coastal plain forests
along with such factors as public accessibility
and availability of operation/maintenance staff.
Restoration opportunities include increasing
the diversity of native forest vegetation (e.g.
on the Bucks County Parkland and Andalusia
parcels (U11, U13, and U14) north of State Road. Portions of tributary streams could also
be restored. For example, the stream currently
flowing in a relatively straight line across parcels U-11 and U-13s appears to have been channelized. Stream meanders with pools
and riffles could be restored and more diverse stream bank vegetation planted.
• Score of 29 for U-13, Bucks County Parkland (forested wetland area north of
State Road)
• Score of 29 for U-10, Andalusia
Foundation (forested parcel south of State
Road)
• Score of 27 for U-11, Andalusia Foundation
(forested wetland area north of State Road
+ on proposed Bensalem Greenway Trail)
• Score of 27 for U-43, Pennsylvania DCNR
(mix of forest and intertidal wetland along
Neshaminy Creek above State Road)
• Score of 24 for U-14, Bucks County
Parkland (forested wetland area north of
State Road)
• Score of 23 for U-57, Andalusia Foundation (forested wetland area north
of State Road + on proposed Bensalem
Greenway Trail)
• Score of 22 for U-12, Andalusia
Foundation (forested wetland parcel on
south side on State Road)
12 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 24 26 27 29
Current Score for Upland Parcels
U-57
U-13 U-14
U-12
U-43
U-10U-11
32 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Ecological restoration opportunities based on “uplift” scores (Figure 14):
The scoring categories above reflect current site conditions. The habitat scoring criteria were
reviewed to consider where there is the potential
for ecological restoration. This could include
the following types of shoreline and/or upland
habitat enhancements:
• Convert turf grass areas to meadows or
forests;
• Restore/expand forest/field areas by removing invasive plants and adding native
plants;
• Plant trees and shrubs along Delaware River
and tributary streams;
• Remove concrete structures from waterways
and plant with native trees and shrubs;
• Restore/expand wetland areas including
intertidal wetlands;
• Connect habitat corridors such as
woodlands and forested stream banks;
• Create “living shorelines” that stabilize river
bank and provide riparian and intertidal
habitats.
Potential ecological restoration opportunities
were identified considering where these habitat enhancement efforts could be deployed. Habitat
scoring criteria were increased accordingly to
reflect these potential “uplifts” in habitat values. Sites with the highest potential uplift in habitat
value include:
Uplift of 7 for R-26, Columbus Country Club:
Parcel is in planning stages for (Landing’s)
redevelopment. Restoration opportunities that
can be considered for the site include enhancing
forests/meadows, enhancing wetlands along
State Road, enhancing/restoring Delaware
shoreline wetlands and other native shoreline
vegetation, reducing erosion, and maintaining
habitat connectivity (e.g. wetlands/vegetated
riverbank) along the Delaware River. Potential
connections between the wetlands in the area
across and south of Street Road and the Country
Club’s Delaware Riverfront could be explored
(e.g. along the southern property line).
Uplift of 6 for R-14, Bucks County Parkland along Delaware River: This large unit (72
acres) of Bucks County Parkland has forests,
tributary stream, and wetland habitat. The
property’s frontage along the Delaware has a
river wall, which in some locations is in disrepair
and breached. A tributary stream crosses the
property and enters the Delaware River along
the Park’s boundary with the downstream Biddle
0 1 3 4 7 10
Total Uplift
R-26
R-14
R-34
R-20R-1
R-37
R-29R-12
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 33
property. Water ponding behind a Delaware River
outlet structure has created a pond and wetland
area between the two properties. Bucks County
Parks is interested in restoring the integrity of
the sea wall and outlet structure.
In tandem with shoreline infrastructure repair,
lower lying areas along the Park’s shoreline
could be restored to tidal wetlands. The
2011 Bucks County Natural Area Inventory
recommended that the deteriorating river wall
be removed in places to allow for the restoration
of tidal marsh (Natural Heritage Area 4 on Figure
2). Another option would be to incorporate inlets
during river wall repairs that allow tidal water
into targeted wetland restoration areas (and
preventing tidal intrusion where it is unwanted).
Other reaches of the small tributary stream
could be restored (e.g. by removing concrete flow channel and planting streamside native plants).
Restoration of park upland woodlands is also
an opportunity where invasive plants and deer
browse has reduced the native plant understory.
Uplift of 5 for R-34, Neshaminy State Park (main part of park along Delaware River): Neshaminy State Park includes a mosaic of
forested, meadow, wetland, and shoreline
habitat on both the Delaware River and
Neshaminy Creek. Restoration opportunities
along the proposed Bensalem Greenway
Trail in the Park have been identified (see ecological enhancement concepts in Appendix B
Neshaminy Creek Crossing Project report). These
restoration enhancement concepts include
wetland and vernal pool creation, reforestation,
and shoreline erosion control.
State Park officials have prioritized shoreline erosion control with wetland restoration, and
have pursued grant funding starting with the
area of erosion on the upriver boundary of the
Park.
Uplift of 5 for R-20, Redevelopment Authority Bucks County at Waterside: Several parcels
along the Delaware River are being developed
(Waterside Development). Floodplain and
intertidal wetlands along the river’s edge have
been preserved as a community park with public
riverfront access. Opportunities exist to enhance
and restore these intertidal wetlands and the
adjacent shoreline vegetation.
Uplift of 5 for R-1, Salem Harbour: This property
includes shoreline where Poquessing Creek
flows into the Delaware River. Opportunities exist to restore turf grass areas that are not
in active use (e.g. allow for native meadows
and expansion of river’s edge forest). Areas
of erosion along the riverbank could also be
stabilized and restored with living shoreline (e.g.
mix of vegetation and anchored logs).
Uplift of 4 for R-37, Torresdale Manor Improvement Association: Stabilization of this
sloped river edge area could be improved by
planting native trees and shrubs that reduce
erosion and provide shoreline habitat. An
intertidal wetland is present in the shoreline
area in front of the parcel, buffered by adjacent
Mud Island.
Uplift of 4 for R-12, Andalusia Foundation: This parcel has a restoration uplift score of
4 assuming revegetation of shoreline and
upland field areas. However, such restoration
opportunities may be limited by the parcel’s
status as a maintained historical estate.
Uplift of 4 for R-29, Grupp Family LTD Part: This
residential parcel’s uplift score is based on the
presence of a forested wetland; a site visit is
required to confirm the uplift potential.
Uplift of 3 for 23 additional parcels:
Additional ecological restoration opportunities
exist where enhancements to wetlands, tributary
streams, and woodlands could be promoted.
Examples include:
• A small tributary originating in Bucks’ County
Park goes under State Road and flows across multiple parcels before discharging
into the Delaware River near the Torresdale
Manor Improvement Association. The stream
is partially embedded in a concrete channel
as it traverses riverfront properties along
Tennis Avenue (e.g. parcels R-6 to R-8). The
natural stream channel could be restored
in this reach, along with enhancements to
stream-side woodlands.
• Several emergent and forested wetland
areas present in the study area include
those associated with 1) Bucks County
Parkland and Andalusia 2) west of Street
Road in the industrial park complex (U-
25, U-26, and U-27), and 3) Delaware River frontage on existing and proposed
Waterside Development parcels, and 4)
along Neshaminy Creek (See Figure 15 AD
Marble Aquatic Resource map). Ecological
restoration potential exists where these
wetlands can be enhanced, expanded, and
connected.
34 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Ten
nis A
ve
Stat
e Rd
Stat
e Rd
Stat
e Rd
Stat
e Rd
Haunte
d L
n/T
ote
m R
d
Win
ks Ln
Marsh
all Ln
Stree
t Rd
Sta
tion A
ve
Delaware
Riv
er
Po
qu
es
sin
g C
ree
k
Tri
bu
tary
of
Ne
sh
am
iny C
ree
k
Ne
sh
am
iny
Cre
ek
Bensalem Greenway
Aquatic Resources Map
X:\
Pro
jects
\P1
47
9 -
PE
C\P
EC
-Gre
en
wa
y M
app
ing
\MX
D\A
qu
aticR
esou
rce
s.m
xd
Ma
y 1
7,
20
16
m
rod
en
berg
er
Imagery Source: Bensalem GIS 2010Imagery Source: Bensalem GIS 2010
0 1,800
Feet
Data Source: USFWS NWI 2015, FEMA 2013, PASDA
Bensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Project Study Area
Tax Parcels
Streams/Rivers
NWI Categories
Freshwater Emergent Wetland
Freshwater Forested/Shrub Wetland
Freshwater Pond
FEMA 100-Year Floodplain Figure 15. Bensalem Greenway
Aquatic Resources MapBensalem Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Bucks County Parkland & Andalusia
Neshaminy Creek Wetlands
Street-State Road Parcels
Waterside Development
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 35
Task 2. Landowner Outreach and Engagement
Landowner outreach and engagement has
been conducted, with the goal of identifying
landowners interested in pursuing ecological
restoration and stewardship projects. Where
such interest is expressed, PEC is pursuing
ecological restoration design and construction
actions. This outreach work has focused on
properties that have a higher potential for
ecological restoration. Consideration is also
given on land that is accessible to the public,
with the goal of enhancing user experience with
the greenway trail.
PEC outreach to date has focused on the larger,
public-owned lands along the greenway including
Bucks County Parks and Neshaminy State Park.
PEC has also kept the Andalusia Foundation
informed of the potential alignment of the
greenway on Andalusia lands, and opportunities
for ecological restoration near the trail. PEC
has also shared details of the ecological
restoration screening process with Bensalem
Township, which is actively engaged with both
the greenway development and Bensalem
Riverfront Master Plan. PEC has also sought to
engage other private landowners through letters
and invitations to public meetings. Landowner
outreach highlights include:
• PEC met with Bucks County Parks
Department to review the trail plans and discuss
opportunities for ecological restoration on Park
property, including uplands along State Road
and on the river’s edge. PEC presented to Bucks
County Park the idea of preparing Coastal Zone
Management or other grants for an ecological
restoration plan for the upland forested wetlands
near the proposed greenway trail, and/or for
riverfront tidal wetlands. Bucks County Parks is
interested in focusing first on the river’s edge. PEC and Bucks County tentatively agreed to
collaborate on a grant that addresses Delaware
River shoreline stabilization and restoration
work, one of the prioritized ecological restoration
goals. Exploratory collaboration on a Coastal
Zone Management grant has led to the Park
investigating how a living shoreline restoration
can complement their shoreline stabilization
needs.
• PEC followed up with Neshaminy State Park on
the previous ecological restoration assessment
work done for the 2013 Neshaminy Creek Crossing Feasibility Study. PEC met with state
and regional DCNR officials to prioritize the proposed restoration opportunities. The Park’s
first priority is to stabilize and restore eroded areas along the Delaware River and Neshaminy
Creek. PEC developed a 2015 Growing Greener
grant proposal for a shoreline restoration project
on the up-river section of the park that was not
awarded funding. PEC is continuing to work
with the park to pursue funding for a shoreline
stabilization project around the Neshaminy State
Park boat ramp.
• PEC met with Bensalem Township regarding
its Riverfront Master Plan development process,
and shared preliminary ecological assessment
data with the Township. The Riverfront Master
Plan calls for a T-1 Natural Transect Zone with
reserved open space areas. These parcels
contain wetlands that can be enhanced,
restored, and connected with adjacent upland
and river’s edge resources. PEC continues
to explore restoration opportunities that
complement the Township’s redevelopment
plans.
• PEC has kept the Andalusia Foundation
informed of wetland delineation work on their
property and the proposed location of the
greenway trail. In addition to multiple visits to
upland Andalusia parcels north of State Road,
PEC visited the Foundation’s Delaware Riverfront
property to assess restoration opportunities.
We have suggested the pursuit of ecological
restoration work aligned with the greenway
trail development but have not initiated grant
proposal activities. PEC met with Natural Lands
Trust regarding a Master Planning effort just
now being initiated for this area that will explore
additional public access to natural and historical
resources. PEC is seeking to incorporate the
results of this ecological assessment study with
the Natural Lands Master Plan with the goal
of catalyzing restoration work on upland and
shoreline areas.
• When meeting with the Andalusia Foundation,
PEC also met with the owner of the adjacent
Biddle property. This property in turn borders
Bucks County Parkland, where a freshwater
wetland has been created by water backing
up behind a sea wall. The property owner
expressed an interest in working with Bucks
County Parks on more purposive living shoreline
restoration efforts.
• PEC visited the Waterside development
property early in the study, focusing on the river
front park that is being incorporated into the
development that includes intertidal wetlands.
PEC provided the property owner with the study
results and has offered to support waterfront
restoration efforts as the development moves
forward.
36 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
This draft final report documents the work done under Tasks 1 and 2. Maps of ecological
resources, land ownership, and other features
relevant to ecological restoration are included.
Priority restoration projects are proposed
based on the ranking of habitat, site-wide, and
recreational criteria. Initial actions to pursue
ecological restoration projects are summarized.
A preliminary version of this report was
made available to members of the Advisory
Committee, landowners, and other stakeholders.
STEPS TO FINALIZE DRAFT FINAL REPORT
• PEC was contacted by the Torresdale Manor
Improvement Association based on our letter query.
PEC discussed shoreline re-vegetation strategies with
the Association’s representative and send brochures
and other information on native plant species
adaptable to shoreline areas.
• A Salem Harbour maintenance staffer attending
PEC’s November 29, 2017, public meeting
expressed an interest in the living shoreline concepts
presented at the meeting. PEC will follow up with
this representative and the Salem Harbour Regional
Manager to further discuss restoration concepts
such as living shorelines and native meadows.
The above and other landowners with the higher
priority restoration projects identified in this report were contacted by letter and invited to learn more
about this initiative and the restoration opportunities
present on their properties. PEC has offered
to conduct additional site visits with interested
landowners. This outreach will continue as the trail
development process moves forward.
A public outreach meeting in Bensalem Township
was held at Neshaminy State Park on October 12,
2017, to present the draft report’s findings and gather additional landowner/public comments. A
meeting was held on October 19, 2017, with State
Representative DiGirolamo and State Senator
Tomlinson to present report findings. A second public meeting occurred at Glen Foerd on the Delaware on
November 29, 2017, and a third public meeting was
held at Silver Lake Nature Center on December 6,
2017. This draft final report was prepared based on input and comments received from the Committee
and other stakeholders. Committee and public
meeting notes are compiled in Appendix I. The report
will be finalized after a final DCNR review.
Bensalem Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report 37
Attachments/Appendices Figures
Appendix A. Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration
Advisority Committee
Appendix B. Neshaminy State Park Ecological Enhancement
Design Concepts
Appendix C. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Invetory (PINDI)
Receipts & Agency Review Letters
Appendix D. Philadelphia Water Assessment of Shoreline
Ecological Restoration
Appendix E. Wetland Deliniation Maps
Appendix F. Army Corps of Engineers WetlandJurisdictional
Determination
Appendix G. AD Marble Bog Turtle Report
Appendix H. Detailed Score Sheet
Appendix I. Stakeholder and Public Meeting Notes
Tables
Table 1. GIS & Map Resources
Table 2. Site Visits
Table 3. Ecological Restoration Site
Screening Criteria
Table 4: Habitat Scoring Factors
Table 5: Site-Wide Scoring Factors
Table 6: Recreation Scoring Factors
Table 7: Ecological Restoration
Techniques
Figure 1. Bensalem Greenway Study Area
Figure 2. Bensalem Greenway Natural Heritage Areas
Figure 3. Bensalem Greenway Proposed Trails
Figure 4. Bucks County Future Land Use
Figure 5. Bensalem Greenway Land Use
Figure 6. Bensalem 2018 Waterfront Master Plan
Figure 7. Bensalem Greenway Parcels Included in Study
Figure 8. Bensalem Greenway Wetland & Ecological Analysis
Figure 9. Total site scores based on current conditions
Figure 10. Habitat higher-ranking sites
Figure 11. Site wide higher ranking sites
Figure 12. Recreational higher ranking sites
Figure 13. Total site scores for upland parcels based on current
conditions
Figure 14. Ecological restoration opportunities based on “uplift”
scores
Figure 15. Bensalem Greenway Aquatic Resources Map
38 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
• Philadelphia North Delaware River Greenway Ecological Assessment and Prioritization Report, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, November 2009
• Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program Interactive Map accessed March 2015 and April 2016
• Bucks County, Pennsylvania Natural Areas Inventory Update, Report prepared for the Bucks County Commissioners, by Ann F. Rhoads and Timonthy A.
Block, Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, March 2011
• Bucks County Open Space and Greenways Plan, Bucks County Planning Commission, 2011
• Tidal Delaware River Water Trail Map and Guide, Trenton-to-Philadelphia Section (River Miles 137-112) and Philadelphia Section (River Miles 113-90).
• Bensalem Greenway Master Plan, Prepared for Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Bensalem Township, by Pennoni Associates, Inc., September
2012
• Lower Delaware River Conservation Plan, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, September 1999
• Bucks County Waterfront Revitalization Plan, Prepared for Redevelopment Authority of Bucks County, Bucks County, and the six Bucks County Delaware
Riverfront Boroughs and Townships, by HNTB Corporation, February 2005
• Bensalem Township Open Space Plan, for Bensalem Township, by Schoor Depalma, Inc., (2002 with 2010 updates).
• Bucks County Comprehensive Plan, Bucks County Planning Commission, 2011
• Neshaminy Creek Crossing Project East Coast Greenway (ECG) Feasibility Study & Ecological Assessment, for Pennsylvania Environmental Council and
Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks, by Urban Engineers, Inc. and Conestoga-Rovers and Associates, December 2013
• Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) Project Environmental Review Receipts:
o For Bensalem Greenway study area, April 9, 2013
o For State Road alignment, January 23, 2014
o For Bensalem Greenway Trail Alignment, Section B, Segment 10 & 11, November 6, 2015
• Bensalem Waterfront Master Plan (Bensalem 2018 Regulating Code for River Renaissance in New Bensalem), electronic version provided by Matt Takita
of Bensalem Township
References
Appendix A
Advisory Committee
Matt Takita, Director of Building and Planning
Bensalem Township Municipal Building
Meghan Rogalus, Watershed Specialist
Bucks County Conservation District
Rea Monaghan, Environmental Planner
Bucks County Planning Commission
Jeff Darwak, Deputy Director
Redevelopment Authority of the County of Bucks
Drew Gilchrist, SE PA Regional Adviser
Pennsylvania Department of Natural ResourcesReplaced by Jessica Lynch in 2017
Andy Hamilton, Mid Atlantic Trail CoordinatorEast Coast Greenway
Josh Moody, Restoration CoordinatorPartnership for the Delaware Estuary
Lorraine Skala, Education DirectorSilver Lake Nature Center
Josh Swartley, Manager
Neshaminy State ParkReplaced by Brian Health in 2017
Cindy Ferguson, Director of Development
Pennsylvania Environmental Council(Bensalem resident and Poquessing Stream Keeper)
Kept informed of Advisory Committee Activities
William Mitchell, Executive DirectorBucks County Department of Parks and Recreation
Bill HaasThe Pen Ryn Estate
James Biddle, Executive DirectorAndalusia Foundation
Appendix A. Bensalem Greenway Ecological Restoration Advisory Committee
40 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix B. Neshaminy State Park Ecological Enhancement Design Concepts
Appendix B
42 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix B
44 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix B
46 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix B
48 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix B
50 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix C
Appendix C. Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PINDI) Receipts & Agency Review Letters
52 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix C
54 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix C
PNDI Project Environmental Review Receipt Project Search ID: 20140123435318
Page 1 of 7
1. PROJECT INFORMATION
Project Name: Bensalem
Date of review: 1/23/2014 1:04:46 PM
Project Category: Recreation,Trails & Trailheads (parking, etc.)
Project Area: 253.4 acres
County: Bucks Township/Municipality: Bensalem
Quadrangle Name: BEVERLY ~ ZIP Code: 19020
Decimal Degrees: 40.064738 N, -74.962030 W
Degrees Minutes Seconds: 40° 3' 53.1" N, -74° 57' 43.3" W
2. SEARCH RESULTS
Agency Results ResponsePA Game Commission Potential Impact FURTHER REVIEW IS REQUIRED,
See Agency Response
PA Department of Conservation
and Natural Resources
Potential Impact FURTHER REVIEW IS REQUIRED,
See Agency Response
PA Fish and Boat Commission Potential Impact FURTHER REVIEW IS REQUIRED,
See Agency Response
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service No Known Impact No Further Review Required
As summarized above, Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory (PNDI) records indicate there may be potential
impacts to threatened and endangered and/or special concern species and resources within the project area. If
the response above indicates "No Further Review Required" no additional communication with the respective
agency is required. If the response is "Further Review Required" or "See Agency Response," refer to the
appropriate agency comments below. Please see the DEP Information Section of this receipt if a PA Department
of Environmental Protection Permit is required.
56 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix C
58 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix C
60 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix C
62 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix C
64 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix D
Appendix D. Philadelphia Water Assessment of Shoreline Ecological Restoration
66 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix E
Appendix E. Wetland Delineation Maps
68 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix E
70 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix F. Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Jurisdictional Determination
Appendix F
72 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix F
74 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix G. AD Marble Bog Turtle Report
Appendix G
76 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix G
78 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix G
80 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
Appendix H. Detailed Score Sheet
PEC Coding Parcel Name/Owner Address
Habitat
Criteria
Total
Site Wide
Criteria
Total
Recreation
Criteria
Total
Current
Score
Uplift
Potential
Total
uplift
R-34 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Rd 29 15 8 52 60 8
R-4 Maryelizabeth Rybas (Mud Island) 301 Tennis Ave 33 11 5 49 49 0
R-35 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Rd 27 13 8 48 51 3
R-36 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Rd 28 14 6 48 54 6
R-33 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Herr St 26 14 6 46 52 6
R-14 Bucks County State Rd 24 11 8 43 52 9
R-19 Waterside Phase 1 LLC 2233 State Rd 26 9 6 41 47 6
R-20 Redevelopment Authority Bucks County 2375 State Rd 25 9 6 40 48 8
R-15 Bucks County Station Ave 23 12 5 40 44 4
R-13 James Biddle State Rd 27 9 4 40 46 6
R-3 Bucks County Economic Development Corp. State Road 27 9 4 40 45 5
R-37 Torresdale Manor Improvement Association River Rd 24 11 4 39 46 7
R-26 Columbus Country Club 2909 State Rd 26 8 4 38 48 10
R-5 Walter G & Barbra H Rybas Chestnut Wood Ln 23 9 4 36 39 3
R-1 Salem Harbour Old Bridge 23 10 3 36 44 8
R-12 Andalusia Foundation 1237 State Rd 21 10 4 35 39 4
R-24 Yellow Equipment & Terminals Inc. State Rd 23 8 4 35 38 3
R-27 SRI Landings Association LP 2959 State Rd 24 7 4 35 38 3
R-32 Albert Chadwick 350 State Rd 23 8 4 35 38 3
R-11 Andalusia Foundation 1163 State Rd 20 10 4 34 37 3
R-6 John, Mary, David & Joan Rybas 301 Tennis Ave 21 9 4 34 40 6
R-18 Waterside Phase 1 LLC 2207 State Rd 19 8 6 33 36 3
R-8 William Chamberline III 465 Tennis Ave 20 8 5 33 35 2
R-9 Schuylkill Fishing Co. 1003 State Rd 20 9 4 33 36 3
R-30 Phila Gun Club 3051 State Rd 20 9 4 33 35 2
R-16 Francis and Barbra Bertolino 2019 River Rd 22 8 3 33 33 0
R-29 Grupp Family LTD Part State Rd 21 9 3 33 37 4
R-10 Craig Lewis 1101 State Ln 19 8 4 31 31 0
R-7 Frances Federic 325 Tennis Ave 19 8 4 31 34 3
R-2 Salem Harbour State Road 20 8 3 31 31 0
R-28 Grupp Family LTD Part State Rd 20 8 3 31 33 2
U-13 Bucks County State Rd 12 10 7 29 32 3
Appendix H
PEC Coding Parcel Name/Owner Address
Habitat
Criteria
Total
Site Wide
Criteria
Total
Recreation
Criteria
Total
Current
Score
Uplift
Potential
Total
uplift
U-10 Andalusia Foundation State Rd 14 9 6 29 29 0
R-17 Penna Yacht Club 2189 State Rd 18 7 4 29 32 3
R-22 Camer Drive, Ltd Part 309 Camer Dr 18 8 3 29 29 0
R-25 Bucks County Economic Development Corp. 777 State Rd 19 7 3 29 32 3
R-23 State Road LLC 2583 State Rd 19 7 3 29 32 3
R-21 Camer Property LLC 304 Camer Dr 18 7 3 28 28 0
R-31 Anthon & Lydia Verduci 3141 State Rd 17 8 3 28 28 0
U-11 Andalusia Foundation 1163 State Rd 12 9 6 27 30 3
U-43 Commonwealth of PA DCNR Haunted Ln 11 10 6 27 27 0
U-14 Bucks County State Rd 9 9 7 25 28 3
U-57 Andalusia Foundation State Rd 8 9 6 23 26 3
U-12 Andalusia Foundation State Rd 11 7 4 22 22 0
U-31 Commonwealth of PA Dept. of Forests State Rd 7 8 6 21 23 2
U-51 Janum Management LLC HAUNTED LN 9 5 6 20 23 3
U-8 William Chamberline III Tennis Ave 10 7 3 20 22 2
U-56 Grupp Family LTD PART State Rd 10 5 4 19 22 3
U-38 Territories Unlimited Inc Winks Ln 10 6 3 19 19 0
U-42 Janum Management LLC State Rd 10 6 3 19 19 0
U-9 Gregory Mason 522 Maria Cir 9 7 3 19 19 0
U-16 William Haas IV 1601 State Rd 8 7 3 18 21 3
U-45 Territories Unlimited Inc 530 Haunted Ln 9 6 3 18 18 0
U-48 Colfin 2015 4 Ind Owner LLC Marshall Ln 8 7 3 18 21 3
U-47 Colfin 2015 4 Ind Owner LLC 3800 Marshall Ln 9 6 3 18 18 0
U-50 Various Owners Haunted Ln 8 7 3 18 21 3
U-37 March Prop LLC 625 Winks Ln 7 7 3 17 17 0
U-25 Barbara Rybas State Rd 8 6 3 17 19 2
U-26 National Penn Invtr Co. Tr. 2700 State Rd 8 6 3 17 19 2
U-39 Winks Ln Inc. Winks Ln 8 6 3 17 19 2
U-49 Lucille Asensio 800 Haunted Ln 7 7 3 17 17 0
U-29 SEPTA Dunks Ferry Rd 7 6 3 16 16 0
U-22 Overnite Trans Co. Imperial Ct 7 6 3 16 17 1
U-30 General State Authority Herr St 6 7 3 16 16 0
82 Pennsylvania Environmental Council
PEC Coding Parcel Name/Owner Address
Habitat
Criteria
Total
Site Wide
Criteria
Total
Recreation
Criteria
Total
Current
Score
Uplift
Potential
Total
uplift
U-32 John Reilly 539 Dunks Ferry Rd 6 7 3 16 16 0
U-41 John & Francesa Unckel Haunted Ln 6 7 3 16 16 0
U-46 Rolling K Hldg LLC 3685 Marshall Ln 7 6 3 16 16 0
U-7 Demaio Grantor Trust 550 State Rd 6 7 3 16 17 1
U-23 Bensalem III Ind LLC 2522 State Rd 7 6 3 16 18 2
U-27 National Penn Invtr Co. Tr. 2950 Street 7 6 3 16 19 3
U-54 JJGD Holdings LP State Rd 8 5 3 16 19 3
U-33 NYTEF Bensalem LLC 633 Dunks Ferry Rd 5 7 3 15 16 1
U-35 NYTEF Bensalem LLC 635 Dunks Ferry Rd 5 7 3 15 16 1
U-15 Woodhaven Property Association 1717 Eagle Dr 6 6 3 15 15 0
U-19 Immobili LLC 524 Imperial Ct 6 6 3 15 15 0
U-3 Cskzr S LLC 350 State Rd 5 7 3 15 15 0
U-34 NYTEF Bensalem LLC 634 Dunks Ferry Rd 5 7 3 15 16 1
U-36 Demitrios Malitas Marshall Ln 5 7 3 15 16 1
U-4 Bruce & Pamela Dobbs State Rd 5 7 3 15 16 1
U-5 500 State Rd Assoc LP 500 State Rd 5 7 3 15 15 0
U-6 Olivia Assoc LLC 520 State Rd 5 7 3 15 15 0
U-17 ATC 2260 LLC 2260 State Rd 6 6 3 15 15 0
U-20 Specialty Ring Prod Inc. 2374 State Rd 6 6 3 15 15 0
U-28 M & M RTY Part LP 3041 Marwin 6 6 3 15 15 0
U-53 Colfin Cobalt I II Owner LLC 3600 MARSHALL LN 6 6 3 15 16 1
U-1 George & Marylou Yelland 169 State Rd 6 6 3 15 16 1
U-21 2424 Bensalem LLC 2424 State Rd 5 6 3 14 14 0
U-40 Francesa Unckel Haunted Ln 5 6 3 14 14 0
U-18 Frank Giovannone 420 Imperial Ct 5 6 3 14 14 0
U-2 Sons of Norway of Penna Inc. 187 State Rd 5 6 3 14 14 0
U-24 Diegido HLDG LTD Part 335 Camer Dr 5 6 3 14 14 0
U-44 Daley & Sigovich LLC 531 Haunted Ln 5 6 3 14 16 2
U-52 Kevin R. Morgan 404 TOTEM RD 5 6 3 14 14 0
U-55 John Jr., Mary, David & Joan Rybas State Rd 6 5 3 14 17 3
Appendix H
Appendix I. Stakeholder and Public Meeting Notes