Overview

Arrowhead Lake Community Association (ALCA) is a private community located in the Poconos. Designed in the 1960’s, with many fewer homes than exist today, an undersized and deteriorated stormwater system was unable to manage heavy rains, resulting in flooding, increased road maintenance costs and safety issues as well as infiltration into the sanitary sewer system.

ALCA contracted with Entech to prepare a Master Stormwater, Roads and Capital Improvements Plan to assess the drainage system throughout the Community. The Plan evaluated 42 miles of ALCA roadways, including asphalt, dirt and gravel roads. Several high-priority areas were identified including 6,200 feet of gravel road sections of Lehigh and Paxinos Drives.

Entech was engaged to provide design, permitting, bidding, and construction services for improvements to the storm drainage sanitary sewers and roadways of the high-priority sections of Lehigh and Paxinos Drives. Due to the aesthetics of the area, improvements needed to be made in such a way to carefully maintain the character of the wooded, lakeside setting.

To maximize cost-efficiency, the drainage solution was integrated with existing sewer and roadway maintenance and upgrades. This bundling saved cost for ALCA’s planned sewer and road projects, since the three systems are so closely integrated.
As one of the priority areas identified, a preliminary stormwater study using hydraulic and hydrologic modeling was used to confirm initial assumptions. The project included road improvements, culvert replacements, roadside bioswales, preservation of riparian buffers along streams, and sewer, manhole, and lateral improvements.

An extensive permitting effort was needed which included an E&S Control Plan, a NPDES permit, and Stream and Wetland Delineations. A fish migration study was mandated by PADEP to determine if a proposed permanent diversion structure in the stream would impact fish migration.

Improvements to the Lehigh and Paxinos Drives set the stage for future projects as the ALCA continues to address stormwater/drainage issues in the Community. Using the analysis provided in the Master Plan, ALCA has addressed two high-priority areas of concern and has a blueprint for future improvements that will benefit their residents and the surrounding natural environment.