by Diane Marczely Gimpel

 

When deer eat plants, it can drive gardeners to distraction.

 

It also can affect water quality when the animals' dining habits remove shade from ponds and streams, leading to evaporation and higher water temperatures.

 

That topic, as well as several others related to the quality of water in Solebury, will be covered Nov. 8 during an update on the township's water protection and resources management project.

 

In addition to the impact of deer on vegetation, the presentation will cover bridges and culverts, the quality and quantity of underground water sources and the protection of their recharge areas and measures to reduce the impacts of floods and erosion, among other topics. The presentation to the Solebury supervisors will be given by Peter Brussock, vice president of Environmental Planning Consultants of Holicong, which was hired by Solebury to do the ongoing study. The presentation is expected to last at least an hour and include a segment in which members of the audience can ask questions.

 

Environmental Planning Consultants' first presentation on the project, offered last year, spurred some subsequent township efforts.

 

"They've been working on some of their ordinances to see if they interrelate to the protection of water," explained Robin Dingle, an associate with Environmental Planning Consultants. "They're looking at bridges and culverts. Solebury has some aged bridges and culverts and the township is considering, rather than repair them, redesigning the bridges with an eye toward flooding and erosion control."

 

The water protection and resources management project began almost two years ago after the township completed its comprehensive plan, which is a guide for a municipality to follow when it creates its land development, subdivision and zoning rules. The comprehensive plan "emphasized and focused on the quality of life in Solebury Township" and natural resource protection and watershed management were elements of that, Dingle said.

 

The water protection and resources management plan that has been developed subsequently aims to properly manage development "while taking into consideration the long-term protection of water resources," Dingle said.

 

The water study compiles information and recommendations not only for the township but also for residents. For example, one segment focuses on ponds.

 

"Ponds in Solebury have increased by 145 percent," Dingle said. "One of the studies done can help (property) owners understand what they can do to have a better pond."

 

The water study also used by nonprofit organizations, such as the Aquetong Watershed Group, to guide their watershed protection efforts, Dingle said.