Miller Run is the stream flowing from Bucknell's golf course through campus to Bull Run near St. George Street. President Mitchell made a promise to restore this stream during his Focus the Nation Speech (January 2008). Throughout this course, students will develop a restoration plan which will be given to the Campus Master Planning Group with suggestions for specific management opportunities. LINK TO PROJECT ASSIGNMENT
These pictures illustrate the much abused condition of Miller Run which has been ditched and rip-rapped for more than 100 years. In addition, Miller Run no longer flows permanently because of various impacts related to the campus and golf course. The plan will include restoring the physical and ecological functions of this stream as well as managing the storm runoff from campus with creative floodplain wetlands.
Students will assess the impacts of Bucknell University on the watershed by monitoring the nutrients and chemicals in the stream as well as the suspended sediment. A gaging station has already been installed by the BUEC to monitor the impact of storm flow (see gaging station at bridge near Bucknell hall). Bucknell has already begun researching these impacts with Alison Schaffer's '08 thesis and will continue to gather more information for the course. Some of her results have shown impacts of increased sediment runoff as well as showing sediment filters. The hydrograph shown here from Alison's work shows that the creek rises faster in the downstream area which is the reverse of normal conditions thereby illustrating the accelerated storm runoff from campus. The chemical graph from Alison's work shows the additions of road salt to the creek from campus during snow events.
