319 Grant - Planting the Bioretention and Raingarden Cells

Work to complete the Bioretention and Raingarden started on a sunny, 78 degree morning.  By lunch time, the temperature was dropping quickly as a cold front blew through.  The folks volunteering to plant hung in there to get more than 2000 plants in the ground as the temperature dropped more than 25 degrees and it started to rain. Thanks to the hearty Public Works volunteers below who helped out.

The final phase of construction for the bioretention and raingarden is the most critical:  installation of native plants.  Native plants are better able to withstand the brutal extremes of Missouri weather.  Native plants also tend to root more deeply insuring that stormwater runoff has more avenues to infiltrate into the ground below.  Native plants will use stormwater runoff and some of the nutrients that come with it, reducing the negative impacts of urban stormwater runoff from our downstream waterways.  Keeping excess runoff, sediment, nutrients and other pollutants in the bioretention and raingarden cells keeps our streams healthier and cleaner.

Keep posted for our time lapse video and more information on the bioretention construction.

Allison Anderson and Curtis Wren planting in the raingarden.

Cody Melloway plants Prairie Cordgrass in the Bioretention

Brady Weter plants in the Bioretention

Richard Grant and Mike Heimos plant Tussock Sedge in Bioretention.

From Boone Co. Resource Mgmt., Catherine Beatty and Nicki Fuemmeler plant Swtich grass on the berm.

Nick McSwain plants False Blue Indigo shrubs in the Bioretention.

Jim Thaxter plants Little Bluestem on the slopes adjacent to the Bioretention.

Tom Wellman plants Little Bluestem near the inlet flume to the Bioretention.

Raingarden fully planted.

Bioretention fully planted as a soft rain begins to fall.

Bioretention area BEFORE the improvements.

US Environmental 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).


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319 Grant: Solving Stormwater at Sunrise Estates

See how the City and County are collaborating on stormwater improvements!

Get current and past weather information from the Sunrise Estates Climate Station.

US Environmental 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).
 

Green Roof AND Green WALLS

Keep your eye on this space!

Old Pump House at 3M Urban Ecological Restoration Site

The Columbia Parks and Recreation Department is designing a green roof and green walls for the old pump house on site to create a viewing blind for the wetland and associated wildlife at the 3M Urban Ecological Restoration Project.    

Staff from Public Works, Boone County, MU, and Parks and Recreation recently toured a part of Lincoln University's Alan T. Busby Farm to learn more about their green walls and other sustainability projects.  Busby Farm contains the Compost Facility for Lincoln University, but they have a LOT more than compost going on there!

Dr. Hwei-Yiing Johnson, associate professor of Cooperative Research and Extension at Lincoln University, recycles food waste from the University kitchens by composting.  Dr. Johnson does traditional composting and vermi-composting, or composting with worms.  She does plant research and teaches classes how to compost for better plants.

Be sure to check out the City of Columbia's Learn to Compost Program by clicking here. 

Poster Describing Worm Bins

 

Underground Worm Composting Bin

Solar powered hot water heat to keep the underground worms warm in winter!

Additionally Dr. Johnson has developed a green roof and green walls to shelter the traditional compost while it is curing.  (This visit was in December, so the plants won't look very green.)

Compost curing area with green roof and walls - see "plant fuzz" on lower roof and stairs up to roof for research and maintenance

Green roof with sedum plants

Green wall using plant trays

A strung wire green wall for climbing vines - watch for this method at the old Pump House (note: rain barrel disconnected for winter)

The Lincoln University Compost Facility is a portion of a larger farm that they are managing for various sustainable and organic practices.  The Organic Program Manager, Chris Boeckmann, gave an overview of the animal grazing and crop research happening on the farm.

On site, they use rainbarrels to collect excess stormwater runoff from the green roof of the compost shed.  Additionally, they use raingardens and bioswales to treat runoff from the  compost shed and surrounding site. 

Bioswale and Raingarden treating stormwater runoff from compost shed

Lincoln University is seeking sustainable solutions to help farmers and our environment.  Through their research, the City of Columbia will benefit by creating green walls for our Parks and Recreation facility that will be more conducive to wildlife viewing and teaching the community how to implement sustainable solutions in the urban and rural environments.

Keep an eye on the building at the wetland and watch it turn into a “green” building.

Artist's Rendering of "Green" Viewing Platform at 3M Restoration Site

Your City staff is working to create a sustainable community we can all enjoy for years to come!

Harvard Stormwater Management Improvement Project

Stormwater management design addresses water quantity and quality.  The purpose of this improvement project was to address failing pavement and poor stormwater management.  Public Works chose to integrate raingardens with the major storm drainage system (inlets and underground pipe).  The raingardens reduce the amount of impervious surface creating stormwater runoff and provide an opportunity to remove pollutants from the “first flush” of stormwater runoff.

Photo:  The existing pavement failed and is not used as a driving surface by residents.  Most of the failed pavement was removed and not replaced, reducing impervious area.

Photo:  Harvard prior to construction of the stormwater management system.

Photo:  Harvard raingardens under construction prior to raingarden soils, mulch and plants.  Cleanout for underdrain pipe is exposed. 

Photo:  Harvard raingardens during rain event. Notice that the water is spreading out in the raingarden, slowing it down, allowing it to infiltrate into the underlying soil layer.  Next step is to plant vegetation to provide more water quality benefits.

 Photo:  Harvard raingardens immediately after planting.  Native plants were used.  It takes two to three years for native plants to become fully established.  Many of these plants bloomed the first year.

The function of the raingarden is to slow down the runoff from smaller rain events and allow it to infiltrate into the underlying soils.  Slowing runoff allows sediment to drop out from the runoff.  The plants and soils of the raingarden remove some pollutants found in stormwater runoff.  The final product is cleaner water in our creeks and streams.