County Commissioners received an award from the American Society of Landscape Architecture (ASLA), PA and Delaware Chapter on November 16 for their wetland-creation and educational facilities at the Black Rock Sanctuary, a County park in Phoenixville. Present for the award presentation were (from left) Donald Mancini, Vice Chairman of the Chester County Commissioners; Sharee Solow and Carl Keleman of KMS Design Group; County Commissioner Patrick O’Donnell; Lisa Kunst Vavro, President of PA/DE Chapter ASLA and Director of Landscape Architecture/ Landscape Studies Programs at Chatham College, Pittsburgh; and County Commissioner-Chair Carol Aichele.
“The Black Rock Silt Basin was a property in need of reclamation,” noted Chester County Commissioner-Chair Carol Aichele. “It now stands as a model of design and partnership that enabled Chester County to add this excellent resource to its park system.”
Lisa Kunst Vavro, President of PA/DE Chapter ASLA, commented that “The People's Choice Award was selected by Landscape Architect peer vote from over thirty entries at the Chapter’s April 2006 conference in Pittsburgh. The Award recognizes the creative transformation of a former 119-acre Schuylkill River coal silt basin through the installation of wetlands and nature education facilities in Phoenixville, as well as the very successful collaboration of federal, state and local agencies with the landscape architect, Carl Kelemen.”
Built in 2003 and 2004, 24 new wetland acres to enhance waterfowl were added. In addition, visitor amenities and five nature education stations were constructed along a three-quarter-mile trail. The William Penn Foundation, the PA Department of Environmental Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA-DCNR), and Pheasants Forever contributed to the $1.09 million dollar project. The County will pave the trail and add more nature education stations in the next two years. For this upcoming, third phase of development, it has received $195,000 in Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund monies, administered by the PA-DCNR.
Black Rock Sanctuary is located on the northeast corner of Phoenixville Borough on PA 113. It is open daily from 8 AM to sunset. Inquiries should be directed to Warwick County Park at 610-469-1916.
{BRS Ariel}
Bird’s Eye View: A lone boater creates a ‘V’ in the water, as he travels up the Schuylkill River from the Black Rock Dam (upper left), adjacent to the Black Rock Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is to the right of the River; this is a view looking south, towards Phoenixville. The Sanctuary includes a large desilting pond (upper left), secondary ponds and wetland pools (lower right), natural meadows (upper right) and an 0.8 mile interpretive trail. Route 113 may be seen in the upper center of the photograph. [Photo courtesy of Christian N. DeVol]
