Riparian Ordinance

Clean Water and the Waterways of Springfield

What is a Riparian Ordinance? It's an effort to provide legislative guidelines for those who live next to a stream or other waterway to protect our clean water. Unbeknownst to many, the water in our streams and lakes eventually becomes drinking water. Our choices are to spend millions and millions of dollars to clean the water or to use nature's way and to clean the water before it enters our streams.

What is the science? The science says that a 25-foot buffer is needed to filter water before entering our streams. This buffer slows the water and cleanses the water. The county recommended the Riparian Ordinance to all Montgomery County towns and boroughs. In areas upcounty from us that are undeveloped, the 25-foot buffer makes a great deal of sense. However, for Springfield, which is so build-out, it didn't make good sense.

Is clean water important? Of course! Is the Riparian Ordinance the best solution to the problem? The Board of Commissioners wrestled with this question for years, sending the ordinance back to the Planning Commission several times. Finally the Board, with a Democratic majority, decided to table the concept and to educate our residents, through our EAC (Environmental Advisory Commission) and to proceed with three demonstration projects on township parklands, including a major one in Cisco Park (funded by Merck settlement money, see below).

The EAC will be preparing informational brochures for general distribution with recommendations for those who live along a stream and want to stabilize the streambank and contribute to improved water quality and stormwater management.

The Planning Commission is working on changing our code to permit riparian buffers, as they are currently in violation of § 11-1 "Accumulation of objectionable vegetation prohibited" in our code. [Ref]

The Board of Commissioners will be following the results of the demonstration projects closely and may, in future, reconsider a Riparian Ordinance for Springfield that is effective, responsible, and fair.

Cisco Park Project

The scope includes the stabilization of the Paper Mill Run stream embankment from the stone bridge (near Phil-Mont, part of the walking trail) to Paper Mill Road, and to add a riparian buffer along the length of the stream within Cisco Park. The goal is to reduce erosion (via the bank stabilization) and improve water quality (via the riparian buffer). We have until March 10, 2012 to complete the project, but hope to do so prior to this date.