Dove, Eric

Eric Dove was a speaker at the WEFTEC 2024 conference in New Orleans, LA October 5-9, 2024.

Titles from this speaker

Naturalization of Fassnight Creek, An Urban Stormwater Success Story

Abstract

Introduction
Our urban centers are plagued by a variety of concrete storm water conveyance structures. Originally intended for flood control, they have simply moved the flooding to downstream areas while degrading natural stream habitat. It's well documented that nature-based solutions mitigate stream habitat degradation, but can they also perform a vital flood risk reduction purpose in our urbanized neighborhoods?

General Project Information
As part of a larger master plan for the Springfield Art Museum, Fassnight Creek was restored to a naturalized channel for flood mitigation, water quality, and wildlife habitat improvement. The Springfield Art Museum is located in the heart of Springfield, just south of Missouri State University. Adjacent to the museum is the historic Phelps Grove Park which is beloved by the community for its mature trees and pedestrian trails. The museum and Phelps Grove Park are surrounded by well-established residential neighborhoods and a high-level of pedestrian activity, which made this project an impactful addition to the urban greenspaces in the area. Before the capital improvement project, Fassnight Creek was confined in a narrow concrete channel with insufficient hydraulic conveyance. The Fassnight Creek Improvements widened the channel cross section significantly and naturalized approximately 1,000 linear feet of creek channel, encompassing 1.5 acres of newly re-stablished riparian area, that serves as an urban wildlife corridor and extension of the Phelps Grove Park greenspace. The restored channel contributes to the overall quality of place and helps to further integrate Phelps Grove and the Art Museum grounds. Key components of the natural channel design include use of void-filled native rock materials to emulate the natural stream bottom of local streams and extensive native plants. Construction included excavation of approximately 16,000 CY of soils, removal of 900 feet of concrete channel lining, removal of a public street crossing, installation of over 250 linear feet of 21-inch sanitary sewer main, two new pedestrian bridges, creating a natural pool and riffle stream, mitigating culvert erosion and re-alignment and narrowing of Brookside Drive centerline to give additional area for channel improvements. Channel Naturalization Details Native plantings provide multiple benefits including creation of habitat to support pollinators, aquatic species, and other wildlife. The native landscaping included planting of over 25 native trees and over 200 native shrubs. Missouri native plantings obtained from regional sources. In addition, City urban forestry crews carefully excavated and rehabilitated a small sycamore tree known to the local residents as the 'child sycamore' and this tree was successfully re-planted in the center of the creek corridor after the grading was completed. The plantings are integral to the project's goals to improve water quality and reduce flooding through filtration and uptake of common pollutants and absorption of stormwater runoff. The project also will increase awareness and acceptance of native plants due to its visibility by local and regional Art Museum visitors. The project will also enhance the Art Museum as a local field trip destination for Science, Technology, Art & Math (STEAM) programs. The Art Museum currently partners with the non-profit Watershed Committee of the Ozarks on the Placeworks STEAM Residency that uses journaling to connect science and art and includes field trips to the Art Museum. There is also a desire for the Art Museum to serve as a monarch way station to tie in with butterfly habitat efforts at the Botanical Center on the south side of Springfield. On this project, the channel slope and shear stress exceed a fine grain channel bottom or a fully vegetated solution which is likely why a concrete liner was used in the past. Fortunately, many local streams are predominately bedrock influenced gravel bed streams. We were able to mimic the natural stream bottom utilizing void-filled rock. Void-filled rock mimics local natural stream bottom where native graded cobbles, boulders, and small aggregates are mixed form a densely packed heterogeneous mixture. For the Fassnight Creek restoration project, the concrete was removed and the rock mixture used to create a stable natural channel bottom. The engineered mixture of stones and smaller sized river gravel aggregates compacted in layers ranging from approximately 2 to 4 feet thick. Selected areas of the void-filled riprap are planted with native grass plugs to add aquatic habitat value but also reinforce overbank areas of the channel with rooted plantings. Void-filled stone structures have been placed along the channel alignment to form riffles and pools seen natural streams alignments. These pools and riffles are the foundations for aquatic habitat in the creek.

Floodplain Information
A central project objective was to reduce base flood elevation (BFE) and mitigate flood risk for the Springfield Art Museum and surrounding residential properties in this area. Based on revised, preliminary 2019 FEMA maps, portions of the Springfield Art Museum and surrounding residential properties are within the 1% and 0.2% SFHA. Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs) and Flood Insurance Study (FIS) for Springfield are currently being updated to provide more accurate depiction of flood risk for the community but have not yet been formally adopted at this time. The City of Springfield's proactive approach now has the Art Museum and residential properties well positioned for the formal adoption of the revised preliminary FEMA floodplain maps. The improvements lowered the 1% BFE approximately feet. Following the Improvements to Fassnight Creek at the Springfield Art Museum, the surrounded properties finished floor elevations have a much lower flood inundation residual risk. Construction and Funding Fassnight Creek at the Springfield Art Museum was substantially completed May 31, 2022. The construction began in Spring 2021 and took slightly longer than 1 year to complete. Construction involved complicated sanitary by-pass pump around for sanitary sewer main relocations, and constant vigilance on the part of the general contractor to maintain erosion and sediment control best management practices during active construction within the creek. Following construction, the ribbon cutting grand opening occurred October 15, 2022 with the Mayor, City Administrator, three Councilmen, the Art Museum director and the Art Museum board of directors presiding. Fassnight was recently recognized as an APWA Missouri Chapter Public Works Project of the Year because it demonstrated a functional solution to flood risk reduction which can serve many other beneficial purposes for the community. The naturalized channel is the new grand entrance to the Museum, an inspirational functional piece of living art. The overall construction costs for the project were approximately $2.3 Million. The Project was partially funded by grant funding from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, EPA Section 319 grant funding Administered by the non-profit James River Basin Partnership, and grant funding for native plantings from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The local funding share was provided by the City's Â¼ cent capital improvement sales tax.

This paper was presented at the WEF Stormwater Summit, June 27-29, 2023.

SpeakerDove, Eric

Presentation time

16:15:00

16:45:00

Session time

13:30:00

16:45:00

SessionSession 12: Moving Beyond Site Based Green Infrastructure

Session number12

Session locationKansas City Convention Center

TopicLinear & Urban Retrofit Projects

Author(s)

Dove, Eric

Author(s)E. Dove1; K. Preston2;

Author affiliation(s)HDR1; City of Springfield2;

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date Jun 2023

DOI10.2175/193864718825158975

Volume / Issue

Content sourceStormwater

Word count10

Stormwater Parks: How to Create Economic and Social Resilience

Abstract

Stormwater managers and MS4 planners face challenging tasks of assessing alternative designs for projects that meet stormwater management as well as societal objectives within a limited budget. The integration of stormwater parks into the range of alternatives addresses the pertinent stormwater management needs and can address multiple objectives that communities desire. Stormwater parks are defined as projects that address the runoff management needs in a manner that encourages public engagement. These projects can be linear facilities along waterways such as the San Antonio River Walk in Texas which from a stormwater management perspective is a runoff conveyance project. Stormwater parks could also be spatially dense such as the Historic Fourth Ward Park in Atlanta which from a stormwater management perspective is a detention facility to protect downstream infrastructure and reduce combined sewer overflows. Each of these well-known projects are far more than a stormwater management facility. They have a rich and vibrant public use that are woven into the cultural setting. Stormwater parks have the unique ability to simultaneously unite neighborhoods, spur economic redevelopment, address chronic flooding, and address MS4 requirements. Many are surprised that these projects are less costly than many of the grey infrastructure approaches like underground stormwater storage. Combining the lower initial costs with community revitalization, stormwater parks offer greater value to the community while providing proven successful path to integrate equity into infrastructure renewal decisions. This paper discusses the important context and success factors that can lead to positive outcomes for a stormwater park project. First the important planning evaluation factors are discussed that include not only the physical setting, but also the socially relevant elements to consider. The second part of the paper considers four stormwater park case studies and how these factors were considered, applied and led to successful projects. Planning Evaluation The planning evaluation for stormwater parks focus on setting realistic goals across multiple objectives that consider stormwater management, economic and cultural factors. We draw on our extensive experience to discuss integrated management factors associated with key questions to evaluate opportunities relative to: a)Stormwater management design criteria b)Public engagement and stakeholder feedback c)Site characteristics d)Adaptive management opportunities for climate change e)Policy and management challenges f)Cultural and economic growth potential g)Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tools to compare alternatives. The second portion of the paper focuses on case studies that discuss how each of these factors were addressed and why these projects are successful. This discussion touches on policies, politics, and equity. In addition, this section will discuss the role of economic valuation of various project designs, including measures of value, and impacts to stakeholders. The 17 ac parcel within Atlanta's Historic Fourth Ward has undergone a dramatic transformation. A stunning new park in one of Atlanta's oldest neighborhoods grew out of a need to address the unglamorous problem of flooding and combined sewer overflows. The stormwater lake serves as the centerpiece of the new park, surrounded by walking trails, urban plazas, and native plantings. The properties surrounding the park have undergone an incredible transformation leading to an incredible economic re-development of the area. Flooding was impacting the Vine City residents in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2002, a major storm event caused catastrophic flooding through the Vine City neighborhood destroying more than 60 homes. In its heyday, the Vine City neighborhood in Atlanta was a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement in Atlanta and was once home to Martin Luther King, Jr. A new community hub was created to address the stormwater management and social needs. Functionally, it provides relief from combined sewer overflows by detaining nearly 10 million gallons of stormwater. Green infrastructure features include stormwater planters, bioretention ponds, and a wet pond surrounded by constructed wetlands to improve water quality. The Riverwalk pays a vital role in the health and well-being of San Antonio's economy. Originally a WPA flood conveyance project that debuted in 1941, the Riverwalk has grown to a span of 15 miles. The newest reach on San Pedro Creek, focuses on culture. Once fully complete, the San Pedro Creek Culture Park is expected to spur a $1.5 billion economic impact by creating 2,100 new housing units, 1,428 new downtown employees, 7,300 new downtown residents, a 150 percent increase in new property value and $227 million in ad valorem tax revenues. The City of Kansas City, Missouri has aspirational combined sewer overflow (CSO) goals. Mill Creek Park is located at the entrance to the highly visited Plaza area. The northern portion of the park was underutilized and represented an opportunity to install green infrastructure to cost effectively reduce the CSO while simultaneously improve the park user experience. Working with a variety of stakeholders, the city developed an integrated concept that saves 80% compared to a grey solution while creating a breathtaking wet meadow prairie concept.

Setting realistic, multifaceted goals for stormwater park projects is a vital component of a successful project. These goals should encompass stormwater management, economic growth, cultural equity, and public engagement. Successful projects require a well-defined vision developed through extensive stakeholder input and careful planning. We'll discuss methodology and key success factors in this presentation.

SpeakerDove, Eric

Presentation time

13:30:00

14:00:00

Session time

13:30:00

15:00:00

SessionCase Studies Implementing Stormwater Parks and Green Infrastructure Across North America

Session number213

Session locationRoom 354

TopicIntermediate Level, Resilience, Safety, and Disaster Planning, Stormwater and Green Infrastructure

Author(s)