Rehydration of Roxhill Bog

Original report Feb 4, 2014

Revision 1: May 11, 2014 D. Perasso
Considerable inforation !as been provided by "P# and Par$s and %olle%ted by o&r tea. 'e also
!ave t!e 2000 (ydrology Report and !ave et )it! "P# and Par$s to )or$ o&t a plan for resear%!ing
t!e %a&ses of lo) )ater in t!e bog and developing a plan *if possible+ to %orre%t it. *notte: ,ts a Fen, b&t
everyone %alls it a -og+.
Re!ydration %an be approa%!ed in t)o )ays . adding ore )ater and pl&gging t!e lea$.
Adding Water:
Storm drains:
/!e atta%!ed "P# drainage ap s!o)s stor )ater drains r&nning 01' fro )!i%! )ater
ig!t be obtained. 2 syste )!i%! allo)ed ad3&stent of t!e ao&nt of )ater flo)ing into t!e peat
%ells )o&ld be ideal. /!ere are several 4&estions )!i%! need "P# s&pport to resolve:
'!at is t!e so&r%e of t!e )ater in t!e stor drains5
(o) poll&ted is it5
'!at )o&ld be involved in diverting soe of t!is )ater to Ro6!ill5
Overflow Adjustment:
/!is year an overflo) drain )as %orre%ted. /!e original drain )as set t)o lo), )!i%! did not
allo) )ater to a%%&&late and flo) into t!e ore nort!erly %ells. /!is !as been %orre%ted and if it ever
rains again )e )ill see !o) &%! of an effe%t it !as.
Fixing the Leak:
Fi6ing t!e lea$ involves deterining )!ere t!e lea$ is. /!ere are several !ypot!eses:
Geologic Shifting:
/!is !ypot!esis involves t!e opening of an &ndergro&nd 7%ra%$8 d&e to geologi% oveent
*e.g. t!e 9is4&ally 4&a$e+. Fi6ing it )o&ld involve finding t!e %ra%$ and b&ilding a barrier. "everal
ideas for a barrier !ave been proposed, fro po&nding in %offer das to e6%avating and b&ilding a
%on%rete barrier.
2 !ydrologi% st&dy )o&ld be needed to deterine t!e so&r%e of t!e lea$ and propose a et!od
of blo%$ing it. /!ere is a !ig! probability t!at t!ey st&dy )o&ld %on%l&de t!at a barrier is ipra%ti%al.
Storm Drains:
/!e stor drain t!at r&ns 91" along t!e 0ast side of Ro6!ill is probably in a gravel filled dit%!.
/!is dit%! ay be f&n%tioning as a Fren%! Drain to dra) )ater a)ay fro Ro6!ill.
'e need %onfiration fro "P# t!at t!e stor drain )as laid on a gravel filled dit%! and )e
)o&ld need to drill do)n and verify t!at it is dra)ing )ater fro Ro6!ill. ,f t!at is %onfired, it ay
be possible to isolate t!e stor drain fro t!e par$ by eans of %offer das. 'e )o&ld !ave to loo$ at
t!e %ost and at t!e ipa%t on t!e Maple 'oods t!at line t!e 0ast side of t!e par$.
"P# is %&rrently resear%!ing to deterine e6a%tly !o) t!e stor drains )ere installed and to test t!e
stor drains to deterine !o) &%!, if any, )ater flo)s t!r& t!e gravel layer.
9ote t!at t!e stor drains )ere installed in t!e 1:;0s and pre%eded any plans to re!ydrate t!e bog.
Evapotranspiration:
/!e area s&rro&nding t!e peat %ells !as been planted )it! largely de%id&o&s vegetation. /!is vegetation
!as gro)n to !eig!ts of 1<140 ft and is a far %ry fro t!e floating sedge ats t!at &sed to %over t!e bog.
,t is &n%lear !o) &%! )ater is s&%$ed &p fro t!e peat layer and evaporated into t!e atosp!ere by
t!e vegetation, b&t it is %ertainly s&bstantial and is at its pea$ in t!e s&er ont!s, )!en t!e least
ao&nt of )ater is entering t!e bog.
O&r %oittee is trying to estiate t!e transpiration of t!e vegetation.
9ot s!o)n: There is a line that comes from the line on the west side of the Park (parallel to the poplar trees
(SW corner of the park ).This spur runs from the collection box directly into the SW corner of cell #5.