Gwynedd ROW Stewardship Program

About the Program
The Gwynedd ROW Stewardship Program is championed by Exelon Corporation, a right-of-way (ROW) management company. The site is located in southeastern Pennsylvania and has been in place since 2015. The project consists of upland forests, high-gradient stream, riparian habitat and associated uplands. An ROW runs through the center of the property and through additional conservation areas adjacent to the site. The project provides suitable habitat for aquatic and upland wildlife through the management of riparian wetland plant communities, nesting structures and invasive species treatments. 

Practices and Impacts

• 0.6 acres have been set aside to re-establish the previous flow regime of a braided channel system by restoring flow to a blocked stream channel. The team has also established a sustainable, native scrub-shrub plant community along the southern banks of Haines Run to stabilize the channel and minimize long-term erosion of the stream bank and sediment inputs to Haines Run. The project team is focused on improving ecological function throughout the riverine ecosystem and associated floodplain.
• The team installed multiple bee nesting stations within the wetland habitat. These bees pollinate many of the plant species that help to support sediment control and increase ecological diversity within the habitat.