Catholic congregation completes erosion-control project

The Nazareth Campus completed an erosion-control project in the field between Nazareth Road and Old Nazareth Road to prevent sediment from entering Roadside Lake. The project addressed erosion gullies measuring over 140 feet long and 12 inches deep. These gullies previously carried sediment into the eastern end of the lake, causing buildup and the growth of water primrose across the surface.

Stream restoration expert Thomas Biebighauser worked with the Office of Ecological Sustainability and Nazareth Campus Service to implement the repairs. Biebighauser taught staff techniques to widen the areas around the gullies to disperse stormwater runoff. Members of the Grounds Department, Jason Hagan, Paul Haney, and Paul Underwood, used equipment to shape the land and embedded the soil with rock to stabilize it against swift-moving water. The team treated three locations in the field and filled a fourth gully with mixed-sized rock.

Following the erosion repairs, Biebighauser assisted the team in constructing a 35-by-25-foot wetland in the same field. The wetland was dug using a bulldozer and backhoe to reduce stormwater runoff and provide habitat for wildlife. Workers used logs from downed trees on the campus during the construction.