319 Grant - Four Fragile Arrivals!

Watch your step!  

A mama Killdeer has decided to nest in the gravel near our staging area for the step pools.

Killdeer eggs in a "nest" on the ground in the Pole Yard.

Mama Killdeer faking a broken wing to distract from her eggs.

Our other fragile arrivals are the four fiberglass H-flumes that will be used to monitor both the step pools and the bioretention area.   The manufactured fiberglass H-flumes required were ordered approximately one month ago and arrived on site last week. One flume will be placed at the top of the step pools and one flume at the inlet to the bioretention area to see how much runoff and pollution is going into each treatment feature.  One flume will be placed at the bottom of the step pools and and one flume at the outlet of  the bioretention area to measure how much runoff and pollution is removed by each treatment facility. 

Four H-Flumes delivered last week.  (Flumes at front in photo are upside down.)

H-Flumes allow accurate measurement of runoff.

Sample tube in sidewall of H-Flume assists in water sampling to test water quality.

By measuring the runoff  and sampling water before and after the retrofit BMP, we can determine how much runoff and pollution reduction is achieved using these practices.   Information gathered from the monitoring and testing will inform local engineers on the effectiveness of these treatments for storm water runoff.

In the next couple weeks, crews will be working to install the flumes in their respective treatment facilities.
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MU Researchers Plant Trees to Mitigate Stormwater Runoff

MU Professors Jason Hubbart and Enos Inniss are collaborating on research to reduce stormwater runoff and pollution in the Hinkson Creek watershed.

See Missourian and Columbia Daily Tribune articles below:

• MU researchers plant willow trees in flood plain management study (Columbia Missourian, 3/22/2012)

• MU tree project might help Hinkson (Columbia Daily Tribune, 3/22/2012) 

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City Property Gets Stormwater Makeover

The Columbia Missourian's Kip Hill introduces the Grissum Building makeover:  a stormwater retrofit project to improve the water quality of stormwater runoff from City properties located on Lakeview Avenue.

• Grissum Building Test Site for Watershed Pollution Reduction (Columbia Missourian, 1/25/2012)

US Enviornmental Protection Agency Region 7, through the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, has provided partial funding for this project under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act. (G11-NPS-12)

3M Urban Ecology Restoration Project

With funds provided by 3M Columbia, the Columbia Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with Public Works (and MANY other entities) to restore the wetland area near the confluence of Flat Branch and Hinkson Creeks.  Columbia Business Times recently published the article:  3M Helps City to Restore Wetland Habitat.  Public Works designed the stormwater storage features that will regulate wetland pool levels and treat and detain much of the stormwater runoff that falls in the 140 acre watershed.  Partnerships such as this have great potential to reduce the effects of increased pollution and runoff in urbanized watersheds, like Hinkson Creek, and create recreational opportunities for our community.  The project is currently under construction, take a walk down the MKT trail and watch the progress!