Citizens may have noticed changes to the stream banks along the Leibert Creek in Emmaus Community Park this winter.

Increasing instances of calamitous weather events are creating havoc in communities all over the world and Emmaus is no exception.

Due to flooding as a result of Hurricane Isaias, the Leibert Creek and its underlying sediment rose all the way to the tops of its banks. Since that time, any rainstorm with precipitation totaling over one inch has caused the creek to crest and flood over the banks.

A resolution had to be implemented, rather than put community investments at continued risk.

“We have millions of dollars in assets at [Emmaus] Community Park, including our swimming pool, pavilions, our park garage, baseball fields and park equipment and it is the biggest recreational attraction in our community,” Emmaus Borough Manager Shane Pepe said. “It was obvious something needed to be done.” The resolution to the problem was to dredge the creek.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, dredging can be defined as, “the removal of sediments and debris from the bottom of lakes, rivers, harbors and other water bodies. It is a routine necessity in waterways around the world because sedimentation - the natural process of sand and silt washing downstream - gradually fills channels and harbors.”

However, the solution to continued creek flooding was not favored by all in the community, with longtime residents such as Cindy Stull speaking out against the stream-taming tactics. Her main concern was for the flora and fauna disturbed or destroyed by the project.

“(This project) has been an ecological disaster for the water life,” Stull said, noting trees had been cut down, vegetation uprooted and various creatures native to the area left without homes or deceased. Animals like fish, frogs, crayfish and even muskrats have experienced strife related to the creek dredging, according to Stull.

Representatives from the Penn State Master Watershed Stewards did see “a great need for restoration, clean up, replanting and reseeding.”

The borough worked with partners such as the Lehigh County Conservation District as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to reach a satisfactory solution to the tens of thousands of dollars of costs connected to flood damage over the years.

“While I understand the potential environmental impacts, we went through the entire section of the creek and netted all creatures and wildlife that we could,” Pepe said. “We also used bypass pumps that were large enough to send any wildlife that went through them farther down the stream. After the stream banks are restored, we will once again allow the riparian buffers to grow as they did before.”

During the most recent rainstorms, some of which saw a total of close to three inches of precipitation, the stream has not crested its banks.