Middletown's Village Brook Stormwater
Retrofit Project

DNREC recently  finalized an agreement with the Village Brook community's owner to allow retrofitting of the development's stormwater structures.  Village Brook is located just north of Highway 299 in Middletown.  Dove Nest Branch, a tributary to the Appoquinimink River runs adjacent to the community before contributing 7% of the nitrogen and 14% of the phosphorous loading found in the river. The retrofit project is designed to reduce those loads by improving the development's catch basins, the low-lying grassy areas, and the stream bank contours.  With consultants in the early stages of developing engineering designs, construction is expected to begin in the spring of 2004.

Village Brook in relation to the waterways in the Middletown area

Outreach provided by DNREC and the Appoquinimink Tributary Action Team

Cortney Worral, Jennifer Campagnini (DNREC), and John Martin (DNREC) presented detailed information on stormwater pollution and the Village Brook project to 116 environmental science students at Middletown High School.  The development is located less than two miles from the school, providing an excellent opportunity for hands-on participation and learning.

Students from Mr. Rifenburg's advanced environmental class at Middletown High School visited the Village Brook community area to learn more about stormwater issues and perform water quality sampling during a rain storm.

The week after the presentation, students from Mr. Shane Rifenburg's advanced environmental science class toured the areas where the greatest stormwater control improvements are needed.  With the tour fortunately coinciding with a rain storm, the students were able to take stormwater samples and see the results while on-site.  Future opportunities include further stormwater sampling and opportunities to participate in plantings for the new bioretention areas when construction is completed.

Environmental science students at Saint Andrew's School also participated in water sampling efforts this autumn from the Village Brook community and other locations along Dove Nest Branch.  Sampling data from both schools will be used in quantifying water quality improvements once the stormwater retrofit project is completed next year.