Reinventing Wingfield Pines: A regional showcase for floodplain rehabilitation in post-mined landscapes

Abstract

This project is a comprehensive design masterplan and ecological rehabilitation plan for an 80 acre strip-mined floodplain on Chartiers Creek, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The client, the Allegheny Land Trust (property owner), seeks to recreate this site – called Wingfield Pines – as a regional showcase for ecological rehabilitation and environmental education. This includes passive treatment wetlands to cleanse iron oxide from abandoned mine drainage (AMD), accelerated succession of forest regeneration and habitat enhancements, site access enhancements, as well as educational signage and program development. We visited the site on five separate occasions between January 2006 and April 2007, during which we mapped topography, measured slopes and site layout, evaluated existing vegetation, conducted a site features inventory, studied aesthetics and viewsheds, and took numerous photographs. We conducted a public survey of visitors’ impressions and use patterns following a preliminary design presentation and public meeting. We maintained regular contact with ALT and many other experts and stakeholders as we developed multiple design scenarios for the site and its long-term rehabilitation and management. This report documents both our process and our final recommendations for the site. We review the cultural and regional context including history, site analysis, and site feature inventory. We have also included planting plans, detail renderings, as well as ecological rehabilitation and management goals and processes. Additionally, we suggest a framework for an effective educational program and catalog important public access improvements. All of this information is integrated into a “50-year vision of Wingfield Pines,” along with a discussion on how this vision can be attained.