Floodplains: The Recordkeepers of Watershed History
Justin Spangler, PE
LandStudies, Inc
Lititz, PA
Floodplains are the record keepers of a watershed’s history, chronicling average conditions and extreme events, all in an organized timeline. These indicators can be easily overlooked or misinterpreted in the restoration industry, which can mislead a design to an inappropriate implementation strategy.
This presentation will unpack some examples of the geologic and historical evidence that is recorded in the floodplains of several sites in the Mid-Atlantic region, which can be applied in many other regional contexts. Examples of features found in historical documents and aerial photos will be examined alongside site photos to illustrate a wide range of past site conditions. A detailed analysis of soil profiles, along with radiocarbon dating results, will be used to provide context to the features observed in the field.
It is critical for practitioners, planners, and agencies to understand how to read the context of common characteristics exhibited by stream corridors to avoid common restoration project pitfalls.
About Justin Spangler, PE
Justin is a Senior Associate and Professional Engineer specializing in the design and implementation of Floodplain Restoration projects, including “Stage 0” systems. His design philosophy employs the application of site-specific history and geomorphic evidence to identify systemic impairments. Justin enjoys uncovering and coupling relationships between cross-discipline resources such as historical documents and early maps along with radiocarbon samples and soil characteristics observed in trench profiles.
