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making trails work for everyone
Dave Dannenberg, STI Committee Chair Maura
McCarthy, Executive Director Friends of the
Wissahickon
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Wissahickon Valley Park

• Watershed park founded in 1868 in order to
  protect Philadelphias drinking water
• Located in Northwest Philadelphia
• 1800 forested acres
• 6.8 miles of the lower Wissahickon Creek
• 55 miles of natural surface (dirt) trails
• 125 bird species
• Est. 750,000 visitors annually
• 50 of visitors from outside Philadelphia County
• Users include (and trails must accommodate)
  hikers, runners, mountain bikers, families,
  school athletic clubs, dog walkers, bird
  watchers, fishermen, equestrians, rock climbers,
  and many more!

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Friends of the Wissahickon

• Founded in 1924
• Oldest Friends group in Fairmount Park, the only
  professionally staffed
• Community-based non-profit, 1600 members
• 675 volunteers, with 6000 volunteer hours in 2008
• Stewardship areas include
• deer management and habitat monitoring
• invasive plant removal habitat rehabilitation
• watershed education
• open space preservation
• parks advocacy
• historic structure repair
• public conservation education

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Environmental Challenges in the Wissahickon
Invasive Plants
Deer Overbrowse
Stormwater runoff and flooding
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Social Challenges in the Wissahickon
Arson
Rogue trails
Graffiti
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Challenges from our Trails Basic Trail Types
Contour Line
Fall Line
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Trails Where Environmental Social Challenges
Collide
Erosion and habitat destruction due to poor trail
design and over-use
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Sustainable Trails
An ecologically sustainable trail will, without
degradation and without much expenditure for
maintenance endure the uses for which it is
intended endure normal extremes of
weather. A socially sustainable trail will
facilitate various intended trail uses without
engendering conflict among people pursuing
different activities.
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Sustainable Trails InitiativeProject Scope

• THROUGHOUT Consultation Fairmount Park, Water
  Dept., other City agencies, user group
  representatives (Hikers, Bikers, Equestrians,
  Hikers, Birdwatchers, etc)
• 1998-2002 Local Research and Public Input
• 2004-2005 Phase I (Assessment)
• Assessed of all park trails for storm water
  paths, high use impact points, future potential
  conditions
• Monitored use through trail counters, meetings
  with local user groups
• Created sustainability ratings
• 2005-2008 Phase II (Planning)
• Sustainability and proposed trail corridor
  mapping
• Visitor management signage plans
• Surveys
• Public meetings
• Two (2) demonstration trail-building projects
• 2008-? Phase III (Implementation)
• Up to 15 stages of work, 5-10 years, Early
  Implementation Summer 2008
• Cost approx. 10 million, with additional
  stewardship funding
• Hybrid construction using contractors, rented
  equipment, City staff and resources, FOW staff
  and many, many volunteers to do the trail building

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Sustainable Trails Initiative Goals Components
Plantings in trail work corridors
Invasive Plant Removal
GOAL 2 Habitat Improvement
Improve park Amenities (restrooms, Fountains,
etc)
Infrastructure work by PWD, PennDot other
agencies
GOAL 3 Enhance User Experience
GOAL 1 Stormwater management
Landowner Education
Trail Restoration Retrofits
Trail Retrofits
Open Space Preservation
Signage at Trailheads and primary entrances
GOAL 4 Enhance User Safety
GOAL 5 Community Involvement
Public Stakeholder Meetings
Other Volunteer Maintenance Crews
Work with EMS, Fairmount Park and other City
agencies to map trails into EMS CAD files
Volunteer Trail Ambassadors located throughout
park to inform the public and assist in park
management reporting
Volunteer Trail Builders
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Trail Retrofits a park-wide plan
Green Sustainable in existing corridor after
modification Yellow Maintainable in existing
corridor Red Must be closed and re-routed 22
Miles of existing trails that will be closed as
part of the Sustainable Trails Initiative
(STI) 20 Miles of new trails that will be
created as re-routes through the STI 22 Miles
of existing trails that will be substantially
rebuilt and improved through the STI 28 Net
acreage of habitat regained through trail
closures and rebuilds (factoring in new trail
creation)
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Demo Site 1 Wigard Avenue
Part of the Planning Phase (2006)
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Demo 1 Wigard Ave.
Hybrid Construction

• Professional trailbuilders
• Park staff and resources
• Volunteers

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Demo 1 Wigard Ave.
Reconstruction of existing trail
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Demo 1 Wigard Ave.
New trail construction
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Demo 1 Wigard Ave.
Trail Closure
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Demo Trail 2 White Trail North of Rex Ave
Part of Planning Phase (2007)
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Regrades and Pitched Ledges
Demonstration Site 2 (2007)
Before
During
After
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Stage 1 Early Implementation Orange Trail
between Bells Mill and Thomas Mill Roads (2008
- 9)
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Stage 1 Accessibility to Picnic Pavilion
Trailhead BEFORE
Trailhead AFTER
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Stage 1Controlling Seeps and Storm Water
AFTER
BEFORE
BEFORE
DURING
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Stage 1 Managing Cross-trail Springwater Flow
Over Bedrock
BEFORE
After
During
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Stage 1 Causeway
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Stage1 Finished rock work
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Stage 1 Floodplain Reroute
Original floodplain trail
Rerouted Trail
Early Implementation Trail (2008)
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Stage 1 Planting Plan

• 300 hours of invasive plant control
• First Plant Stewardship Index (PSI) assessment in
  the Wissahickon annual for first 3 years
• Cover crop Annual rye for bank stabilization
  over biodegradable jute and coir
• 600 trees shrubs planted by volunteers
• Herbaceous seed plug plantings in 2009
• Bells Mill gateway plantings in 2009

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Stage1 Terracing a Steep Trail While Preserving
Open Access
Trailhead BEFORE
Trailhead AFTER

• Equestrian/Park Staff specified dimensions
• Steps 8-10 inches high
• Minimum length between terraces 8 feet
• No sharp stone edging
• Accessible by Gator for maintenance

Early Implementation Trail (2008)
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Continuing Scope for Stage 1 in 2009 (Bells Mill
Thomas Mill Road)

• Complete planting along trail (herbaceous and
  seed mixes)
• Monitor invasive and new plantings
• Annual PSI (plant Stewardship Index) evaluations
  for first 3 years
• Install additional passing zones
• Adjust tread for drainage where necessary
• Install handicapped spaces at Bells Mill East lot
• Enhance pedestrian crossing (Streets Department)
• Install trailhead kiosk
• Install way finding signage
• Harden surface of pavilion access from Bells Mill
  Rd.

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Stage 2 White Trail to Devils Pool between
Livezey and Valley Green Roads(2009-10)
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Stage 2 Devils PoolTerrain Challenges

From Valley Green Rd Declining canopy and
exposed roots
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Stage 2 Devils PoolTerrain Challenges

• Insert photo of Livezey trail

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Stage 2 Devils PoolSocial Challenges
Communing with nature is a crapshoot here in the
Keystone State. Take, for example, Devil's Pool-a
swimming hole along the Wissahickon Creek. The
littered trail leads to an unsightly bath of
filth, bobbing with dirty diapers, cigarette
butts, barbecues, Doritos bags and rusty beer
cans. Inebriated teenagers frolic amid the
detritus. Disappointed city-folk envisioning an
idyllic, serene dip in the forest scamper back to
the parking lot, horrified. Mara Zepeda,
Philadelphia Weekly, 8/23/06
Jump off the rocks into Devils Pool in
Wissahickon Park. - PW May 2008
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Stage 2 Devils PoolSocial Challenges
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Stage 2 Devils PoolSocial/Habitat Challenges

• Insert pics of bank compaction

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Stage 2 Devils PoolRestoring the Pool

• Insert Pics of steps and bridges targeted for
  removal

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Stage 2 Devils PoolRealigning floodplain trails
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Actions in 2009

• Complete work on stage 1 (spring 2009)
• Begin work on Stage 2 (mid to late summer)
• STI Advisory Committee to nominate sites for
  Stage 3 (2010) by June
• STI Advisory Committee to nominate sites for
  Stage 4 (2011) by December

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TO VOLUNTEER CONTACT KEVIN GROVES GROVES_at_FOW.ORG
David Dannenberg, STI Chair, FOW dannenberg_at_fow.
org Maura McCarthy, Executive Director,
FOW mccarthy_at_fow.org, 215-247-0417 To learn more
about the Sustainable Trails Initiative visit
www.fow.org