Firm Wins Award for Engineering Excellence in South Dakota

Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. (SEH) announced it received the Grand Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of South Dakota for outstanding achievement in water resources engineering in Brookings, S.D. The award was presented at the annual gala event held Nov. 12 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

SEH helped the city of Brookings significantly reduce the potential for flooding and improve the treatment of storm water for a drainage area, which included a major shopping center complex. The project team included regional partners Confluence Landscape Architects and Dakota Land Surveying.

"With the construction of the Southland Lane Detention Pond, the city of Brookings wanted to reduce flooding issues downstream and create a recreational amenity for the community," said SEH project manager Mike Kuno. "The solution is a showcase in storm water management that incorporates several storm water quality components in a single site."

Typically, detention ponds are designed to maximize storage capacity based on the dimensions of the project area. This results in square or rectangular ponds that fit within project sites and meet the hydrologic and hydraulic needs of clients, but provides little focus to aesthetic features or community amenities. The Southland Lane Detention Project allowed the city to develop flood control and water quality improvements as an integral part of the neighborhood, without being an eyesore.

"This is the first project that SEH has designed for the city of Brookings, and we are extremely pleased with the results," said Brookings city manager Jeffrey Weldon. "The design challenges included creating an effective storm water management facility with a park-like aesthetic design to enhance landscaping features and water quality benefits."

Source: Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc.