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Chinn Park Stream Restoration Project
Restoration of Chinn Park Streams
The County is about to embark on an exciting stream restoration project in Chinn Park. The streams in Chinn Park have been impacted by historical and current land uses which have caused erosion of the channels, leading to sediment filling the existing stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), otherwise known as stormwater control measures.
The restoration will address the degradation of the streams and the existing stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs), including:
- Restoring 2,300 linear feet of degraded headwater stream channel
- Providing innovative stormwater improvements for runoff from 2.34 acres of residential development
- Retrofit of existing stormwater BMP with cutting edge technology
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FAQs
Expand all- Why is the stream being restored?
The streams in the park have been impacted by historical and current land uses which have caused erosion of the channels, leading to sediment filling the existing stormwater BMP.
The streams in the park currently do not support fish and only a few types of aquatic organisms.
The restored stream will hold more water in pools providing a habitat suitable for aquatic wildlife as well as amphibians such as frogs and salamanders. The native seeding, trees, and shrubs will also provide a pollinator and nesting habitat.
- What will the restoration include?
The restoration will address the degradation of the streams and the existing stormwater BMP, including:
- Restoring 2,300 linear feet of degraded headwater stream channel
- Providing innovative stormwater improvements for runoff from 2.34 acres of residential development
- Retrofit of existing stormwater BMP with cutting edge technology
- What will happen to trees in the area?
- The design team surveyed 858 trees along the streams to learn their location, size, and species. The limits of construction disturbance were developed to avoid as many trees as possible, resulting in avoiding over 600 trees.
- The vast majority of the 219 trees located within the Limits of Disturbance (LOD) will be salvaged to use in the stream restoration.
- To replace these trees, the stream banks will be planted with 4,300 lives stakes of native trees and shrubs.
- An additional 1,970 native trees and shrubs of 20 species will be replanted across the floodplain and upland areas. The new species and density will quickly grow and provide cover for nesting birds, stabilize the banks, and shade the streams.
- Because wood is also an important habitat within streams (fish hide under wood, invertebrates live on it and eat it), the trees salvaged for the restoration will be used to build the following:
- 27 log sills in the channel to control the grade of the stream, preventing future down cutting
- 30 wood toes in meander bends to reduce erosion and provide habitat
- 30 stumps to be left in the stream bank for habitat and stability
- 17 woody cascades in the new stormwater feature
- 43 log steps in the landscaped area of the new stormwater feature
- What about stormwater management?
- To treat the stormwater runoff from 27.8 acres of residential development at Sycamore Ridge, the restoration will include an innovative new stormwater feature that the County will be able to remotely control.
- The area will be landscaped with walking paths, natural logs steps and trails, as well as planted with 750 native ferns, grasses, and flowers.
- How long will the project take?
Construction for the Chinn Stream Restoration Project is expected to begin between February and April 2025. The estimated time to complete the project is approximately one year from the start date.
Why It Matters
