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SCMUA-WRWMG Initiates Stormwater Management Program at M.E. McKeown School in Hampton Township

The following article appeared in the McKeown School Newsletter, McKnewsletter Weekly, on September 24, 2014:  

FROM THE DESK OF A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER:

Fifth Grade Watershed Stewards:

Submitted by Mrs. Delgrosso

Do you have any idea as to how much water runs off the impervious areas of our school? During a storm with one inch of precipitation an area the size of a fifth grade classroom sheds 250 gallons of water! Thousands of gallons of water run off the McKeown School property right into the Paulins Kill. Is that such a bad thing?

On Thursday, September 11, the fifth graders hosted Nathaniel Sajdak and Eric Vanbenschoten from the Sussex County Municipal Utilities Authority to investigate how much water run off we have at McKeown, where that water goes, and what possible options are available to better manage our own watershed. Mr. Sajdak led a discussion to introduce the fifth graders to our school water issues. Students then headed into “the field” where their first stop was to meet Mr. Fred Schoenagel, a soil scientist for USDA-NRCS. Mr. Schoenagel demonstrated various types of soil and how water filters through each sample. Students observed a sample of McKeown soil, its characteristics, and ability to filter water. Students walked the property looking for evidence of water run-off and to determine which directions the water goes. Mr. Sajdak and Mr. Vanbenschoten then challenged students to measure and calculate how much water runs off various hard (impervious) areas of our school, like the parking lot. Students determined that thousands of gallons of water run-off school property and drain into the Paulins Kill. During heavy storms this creates a “Fire Hose Effect” suddenly blasting the ecosystem within the river, not to mention eroding the land areas along the way.

So, how can we better manage our water issues? Possibly with natural areas on the property where water can collect and slowly filter into the ground, called “Rain Gardens”. A huge thank you to Mr. Sajdak and Mr. Vanbenschoten for spending the day with our fifth graders. We have a feeling that they will be back with some great ideas for how the McKeown School Community can work together to become stewards for our area watershed!