Storm Water Solutions is pleased to announce the 2020 Top Projects winners. Below, find brief summaries of each project. For more information on each project, click the project name to visit the full project article or click the link at the end of the summary to watch a video interview with project team members.
*As of Dec. 8, 2020, three project video interviews had yet to be published. All will be published by Dec. 28, 2020.
Carr Fire Recovery Project – the #1 2020 Top Project
Following the Carr Fire in Shasta County, California, the Western Shasta Conservation District applied erosion control BMPs, such as rice straw, native perennial and annual seed and slow release fertilizer to high-severity burn areas. The primary goals of this project were to reduce sediment transport to stream systems and protect waterways critical to the Sacramento River Fishery. This project utilized two treatments: 1) manual hand application (933 acres) and 2) hydraulic (hydro-seeding) application (236 acres.) Overall, tens-of-thousands of tons of sediment were prevented from discharging into local watersheds by the recovery efforts and more than 500 local landowners benefited from erosion mitigation efforts on their property.
Lime Spring Square
The Lime Spring Square Project is a new development that features retail, commercial, warehousing and medical offices surrounding 11.5 acres of restored floodplain in Lancaster, PA. Floodplain restoration was implemented as the primary BMP to meet regulatory requirements, which included sediment removal to reconnect the stream channel with the floodplain.
2019-2020 Green Infrastructure Upgrades at Various Milwaukee Public Schools
Milwaukee Public Schools and their Green Teams are redeveloping their schools to improve the environmental health and social wellbeing of their students and community. These redevelopments include green infrastructure, recreational and outdoor educational improvements. The transformation of pavement to greenspace provides storm water management, urban biodiversity and community engagement.
Video interview
Whirligig Station Parking Lot Improvements
An old and undersized storm water infrastructure system in downtown Wilson, North Carolina, was prone to flooding. This project sought to design and install a large underground sand-filter system that can store approximately 116,000 cubic feet of water, which will help mitigate flooding issues and protect local waterways.
Video interview
Okanogan County-Peter Dan Slide Repair
A ½-mile wide landslide near Elmer City, Washington, caused by heavy rain and snow melt ruined part of Peter Dan Road. More than 400,000 yards of material moved on to the 2.5H:1V slope. The goals of this project included establishing sustainable vegetation, amending the soil to create optimal growing conditions, safely applying an erosion control product to stabilize the slope’s surface and more.
Video interview
Carson Stormwater and Runoff Capture Project
A large underground system, installed at Carriage Crest Park in Carson, California, is aiding in a storm water management project, which will divert millions of gallons of storm water per year to help Carson and unincorporated parts of Los Angeles protect waterways, meet MS4 requirements and increase water supply to the local wastewater treatment plant.
Municipal Storm Water Management Facility Sediment Removal, Reuse and Water Quality Retrofit Project
This project included sediment removal and the reuse and retrofit for a storm water management facility called “Pond #53” in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main goal of the project was to identify solutions to address known storm water flow control volume and water quality issues. Additionally, the project sought to design innovative practices that were designed to improve efficiencies in sediment cleanouts and disposal, implement a retrofit design to facilitate improved sediment removal and downstream water quality and provide better sediment disposal options.
Collingwood ‘SMART’ Storm Water Project
Persistent storm water issues that affected residents in the town of Collingwood led this project team to develop a work program involving homeowners to reduce inflows of storm water into the sanitary sewer system. The project’s main goal was to reduce the 90th percentile of rainfall resulting from a 24-hour event by 50%, but the project also sought to eliminate storm water runoff from private properties and reduce extraneous storm water inflows to the town’s wastewater treatment plant.
Video interview
Black Warrior Branch Channel Improvements
The Black Warrior Branch watershed study and site analysis were performed for the city of Weatherford, Texas, to understand and address a developing, erosion issue through the city’s Heritage Park. To address the issue, the solution decided upon was to construct modular block walls throughout the park. The solution had confidence in the long-term resilience of the channel walls, and the vertical cross-section made possible by the walls was able to restore a significant amount of area lost. Additionally, this project, included a new bridge with hiking and biking trails allowed a connection between the park and its amphitheater.
Video interview
Cotton Mill Stream Restoration
This project aimed to mitigate bank erosion that occurred along a section of a local stream. The project goals included improving water quality by reducing stream velocity, reducing and eliminating bank erosion, eliminating invasive species along the banks and increased dissolved oxygen in the stream.
Video interview
Albert Robles Center for Water Recycling & Environmental Learning (ARC)
This 5.2 acre site, located in Pico Rivera, California, is a multi-purpose and multi-benefit area that consists of a 48,00 square foot advanced water treatment facility, a digital 25,000 square foot learning center and demonstration gardens. A storm water management system was installed as part of this project to maximize onsite filtration and on/off site groundwater recharge while also preventing pollutant loading off site. Components of the system include, pervious pavement, bioretention basins and an underground treatment and infiltration system. Additionally, a rooftop garden was installed to capture and harvest rainfall.
Katie Johns
Katie Johns, editor-in-chief of Stormwater Solutions, graduated from the University of Missouri in 2016 with a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish. Johns joined the Stormwater Solutions team in September 2019. Johns also helps plan the annual StormCon conference and co-hosts the Talking Under Water podcast. Prior to entering the B2B industry, she worked as a newspaper reporter and editor in Sarasota, Florida, and a magazine assistant editor in the Chicago suburbs. She can be reached at [email protected].
