Groff Memorial Park Meadow Design and Management Plan

The first part of the project was to create an environmentally sensitive 2-acre meadow for Groff Memorial Park, a 4-acre public woodland park in New Holland, Pennsylvania. The borough has drilled a new municipal well in the park and the 2-acre addition is to accommodate the well head protection zone, which is a 200’ circular radius around the well. The park is a peaceful respite for the community that showcases the beauty of trees and shrubs native to Pennsylvania. The new meadow would expand the plant collection to include native forbs and grasses. The borough plans to create a stormwater basin/rain garden at the end of the meadow, which will provide the opportunity to feature plants that can be a used in a wet and challenging environment. The project’s second part was to produce a Management Plan for the park. The plan will guide the borough as the park continues to evolve and will include recommendations for future tree, shrub, and forb additions. To preclude contaminants from entering the well’s water supply, synthetic fertilizer, pesticides, and herbicides cannot be used in the park. The Management Plan includes recommended organic practices for the care of the lawn, woodland, meadow, and rain garden. Since there previously were no guidelines, the new Management Plan will be a valuable resource in protecting the health and investment of this collection of native plants and the groundwater for the well.