Our Stories

Waterbar Workshop in Western Pennsylvania

Waterbar Workshop in Western Pennsylvania

Water is ubiquitous across the North Country Trail. These eight trail states host thousands of rivers, creeks, ponds, and lakes. Hilly, stream-filled Western Pennsylvania is no exception. Thus, water management is a critical component of trail maintenance. Heavy rains carve up the soil, exposing roots, rocks, and other hazards. Flooding obliterates the path altogether. When volunteers with the NCTA Butler County Chapter needed to learn how to keep their trail segment open and dry, they turned to NCTA Regional Coordinator Lauren Kennedy-Little.

In the fall of 2024, Lauren first connected with the Chapter’s President, Jan Genaway, and volunteer Trail Coordinator, Dave Adams. Additionally, Moraine Park Manager Dustin Drew provided lumber and helped coordinate event details and the work site.

“Jan helped me identify the highest needs of the volunteers, and she helped advertise the event,” explained Lauren. “Dave did a site visit with me to Moraine State Park, to determine appropriate site locations.”

In October, volunteers gathered at Moraine State Park with the following goals. The event was held on a Saturday morning to offer scheduling flexibility and reach a larger group that can’t always attend weekday trail work events.

1. Learn basic water mitigation concepts and discuss how to address water problems along a trail.
2. Increase confidence in the ability to assess trail damage and find effective solutions.
3. Experience hands-on learning through the complete build of a waterbar.

A waterbar is a common drainage structure along trails, meant to divert water that’s traveling down the trail off of the trail. The process includes identifying an optimal location that considers hill slope and erosion issues, both above and below; preparing the site by removing unwanted vegetation; and then actually building / installing the waterbar.

After reviewing safety protocol and workshop objectives, they proceeded to learn as they went. With Lauren’s instruction, they built multiple waterbars along the North Country Trail above some recently improved stairs. This area has a steep slope; a wonderful example of where to use these structures. The implementation of waterbars above the stairs will help reduce erosion on the trail, and improve the longevity of the staircase.

“We covered why it was important to build draining above a structure in this situation,” said Lauren. “There is a newly built set of steps at the bottom of the hill and different types of drainage options were available. We talked about why we were putting in waterbars and not something else. Then I had the group scout and decide the best locations for implementation. We discussed the steps of construction and once finished, I had each group talk about their methods and teach the other group about any lessons learned. We finished with a discussion of the pitfalls associated with waterbars, as well as associated maintenance.”

“What an educational and productive day our Chapter had at our workshop!” wrote Jan Genaway, Chapter President. “A big thanks goes out to our Regional Trail Coordinator, Lauren, for hosting such a great event.”

Lauren Kennedy-Little joined the NCTA staff in 2023. Prior, she worked with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) since 2018, traveling all over the country and holding various outdoor leadership titles, mostly executing trail building and trail construction projects. She still performs contract work with SCA as a Conservation Work Skills Instructor. She attended Washington and Jefferson College with a B.A. in biology and concentration in graphic design. She recently became a certified Forest Therapy Guide and offers those services locally. Lauren is passionate about trail design and loves teaching technical skills to people. She resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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