ENGR 0715 - Engineering Applications for Society
Spring 2007 Projects
Geomorphic Mapping & Soil Sampling in Schenley Park Watershed
Community Partner: Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Team:
David Rutkowski,Hendrik van Hemmen, Sean DeHarde, Julie Solar
Problem Statement:
We worked with Erin Copeland and the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy (PPC) to prepare for
restoration of the Panther Hollow Watershed in Schenley Park. In the near future,
they plan to repair the entire watershed area — renovating the roads and trails, fixing problems
with erosion and urban alteration, and replanting native species. Our project involved
collecting data and measurements along Panther Hollow Run, the main stream flowing through
Schenley Park. Following the steps laid out in the Vermont Stream Geomorphic Assessment Phase 2
Handbook: Rapid Stream Assessment, our goal was to perform a geomorphic evaluation of the stream,
which involved analyzing the water, sediment, flow, and curve of the stream among other things
to accurately describe the present state of the stream. Our information will provide the PPC
with a foundation for their future project; currently, they do not have any data or measurements
for Panther Hollow Run. The baseline data we collected will allow them to recognize the existing
condition of the stream and ultimately measure whether their restoration efforts were successful.
