May 11, 2002

On Saturday May 11, 2002, the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and James City County sponsored a free wetland restoration and planting workshop.

The workshop featured an instructional morning classroom session which focused on project types, how to select sites, the basics of wetland function, selecting appropriate plant species and how to organize mini-projects. In the afternoon, theory was put into action as participants were in knee-deep mud and water and planted various wetland plants within an existing extended dry detention pond.

Instructors from the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and staff from James City County provided technical guidance. Several other locally recognized experts were present to provide technical guidance for classroom and field-related wetland and BMP activities.

Using a small track hoe, James Stover of Coastal Wetlands Inc. removed existing invasive vegetation and prepared a small micropool and aquatic shelf area measuring about 50 feet long by 15 feet. After ensuring no utilities were in the area, a deeper pool about 3 feet deep was excavated in front of the existing pond riser and an aquatic shelf was formed in the micropool area. Don Knezick of Pineland Nursery & Supply donated 600 wetland plants. He gave detailed descriptions of plant types selected for the project and provided thorough instructions on care, installation and maintenance. Species planted in the micropool area included sweet flag, blue flag, arrow arum, pickerelweed, duck potato and soft-stem bulrush. Other incidental work was also performed at the BMP including cleaning, inspecting and removing obstructive vegetation around the pond riser pipe, the outfall end of the pond barrel and at storm pipes which conveyed drainage into the pond.

A special thanks goes out to all the workshop participants, the contractor, and material suppliers who took part in the project and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and James City County staff who took an active role in planning, design, preparation and all related follow-up tasks for the workshop.