Effectively managing stormwater can be especially problematic when urbanization changes the hydrology of the landscape. The engineering and science of properly managing stormwater has drastically changed over the last 50 years. This better understanding has given rise to the re-evaluation of the past methods utilized to see how to best harness natural systems in lieu of strictly structural components. One of the methods commonly used in the past to manage stormwater was replacing natural streams with concrete channels.
A little history:
Daylighting projects aim to restore streams to a more natural state. Daylighting streams helps improve their riparian environment, which is important for its role in soil conservation and habitat biodiversity, as well as other benefits to the aquatic ecosystems of the surrounding lands.
The project:
As a company, we love when we are called upon to remove these channels, restore the landscape and return a stream to what Mother Nature intended.
One such project is Salisbury City Park in Salisbury, North Carolina. When City Park was originally designed, the concept of the day was to utilize concrete channels to move stormwater downstream. While the concrete channel served its intended use of carrying away stormwater, it did create a “scar” on the land in what was supposed to be a beautiful green space. As with most projects, there are pros and cons. The same is true with concrete stormwater channels. Yes, they can relieve flooding in the immediate area, but such channels increase the rate of flow of stormwater and can cause unintended flooding downstream. Natural streams have bends and pools which slow the flow of water. Concrete channels also have a significant negative impact on local plants, animals, and their habitat by removing the aquatic plants and ecosystems. They also limit the recreational use of the area and can create a safety hazard.
For these reasons the City of Salisbury decided to embark on a new direction and embraced the concept of restoring the stream to a natural setting within the limits of the park’s design and associated infrastructure. Aquascape Environmental, working with a hydraulic engineer, developed a plan to replace the concrete channel and restore a natural stream. While a meandering stream would have been the preferred option toward the design of the restoration process, the fact that public utilities flanked either side of the existing channel dictated that the stream restoration process would have to be limited within the confines of the existing channel; not the best scenario but in most cases, anything is better than a concrete lined channel.
Our team took the 1,000 foot long channel and designed a beautiful stream with riffles, runs, and pools, flanked by native riparian vegetation. And just like the line from the movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner, “Build It and They Will Come,” the critters and creatures soon moved into their new restored habitat. And that is a “Win,Win” for all!
Project Specifications:
- Concrete removed from site
- 2,200 linear feet of bank shaped and sculpted
- 2,160 square yards of coir logs
- 80+ native trees planted
- 550 native shrubs
- 5,000 square feet of native wildflowers
