COLUMBIA SPY: Shawnee Run Restoration Project nearing completion

A riparian buffer runs along a stretch of Shawnee Run and will help stabilize the bank, prevent erosion, and improve drainage.

The Shawnee Run Restoration Project is nearing completion. The construction phase of the project, which began about a month ago, is almost finished on the south bank of the creek, where riparian buffers and a greenway have been installed to bring the area into compliance with MS4 standards that govern municipal stormwater management. The buffer runs along a stretch of the creek between South 4th Street and Mill Street and will help stabilize the bank, prevent erosion, and improve drainage. A small footbridge leading from the Trinity House property to the Columbia Railway side is currently being constructed.

The total cost of the project is $193,458.18, with Trinity House Apartments (Columbia Catholic Housing for the Elderly) being responsible for $114,329.09. That price includes the cost of CCHE’s request for additional abutments to accommodate a bridge to be built later, according to the May 12, 2020 Columbia Borough Council meeting minutes. The borough’s financial responsibility is $79,129.00. The construction contract was awarded to Aquatic Resource Restoration Company at the May 12 meeting.