The Conservancy is working with the residents of Delmont Avenue in Ardmore to plant native plants, de-pave, establish rain gardens, redirect piped downspouts, and install flow through planters, all to slow down stormwater.

The efforts on Delmont Ave. are an expansion of the Stream Smart program. After the initial success of Stream Smart, the Stream Smart partners joined with other Delaware River Watershed Initiative organizations to create a more hands-on expansion of the program. The new proposal to install green stormwater projects on a residential scale was deemed worthy of a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Cornerstone Grant. 

Properties have varying amounts of impervious coverage, gutter downspout orientations, available space for new plantings, and utility locations, so each project has been unique. The overarching goal – to slow down and clean as much stormwater as possible – remains the same.

Delmont Avenue was selected as the pilot block because of enthusiasm for the project on the street. The knowledge, energy, and passion of the neighbors has made the efforts more cohesive and, ultimately, more impactful. The Conservancy hopes that the Delmont Avenue Green Street can serve as a model for other streets in the future. See some of the completed work below. If nothing appears, view the Story Map here.