Tour Stop 7: Foot Bridge
Each I-beam weighs 450 lbs and took six people to carry out to the stream. The bridge was designed by Andy Stillinger and assembled on site with the help of Frank Stillinger, Andy’s father. The dimensions of the bridge did not meet the requirements for general permit number seventeen of the clean water protection rules. This is the reason why we leave the bridge disassembled when we are not working on the property. The bridge treads can be put in place with one man in less than ten minutes. Because the beams sit on concrete slabs, it is not considered a permanent structure and allows us to meet the rules of the permit. I am now qualified to be a tightrope walker with all the training I get crossing over the beams. Maintenance for the bridge consists of painting the beams and applying wood preservative to the treads. It takes a tremendous input of time and effort to sustain our GSWA Conservation Area. We are fortunate to have a good volunteer base that is willing push it to the limit when duty calls.
From the bridge you can easily see the effects of stream bank erosion.
Great blue herons can be found foraging for crayfish along Silver Brook.