Welcome to the Stormwater Utility blog for the City of Columbia, Missouri, Public Works Department.
Environmental Services Division Staff will provide information, photos and videos of stormwater improvements, infrastructure updates, tips for homeowners and a variety of other information on stormwater.
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).
Over 30 people from three City Departments and the County planted 700+ plants in two hours! On Wednesday, May 23, folks from Parks & Recreation, Water & Light, Public Works and Boone County Resource Management came together to install plants for the step pools. With seasonable temperatures and bright sunshine, everyone was eager to begin.
The planting plan was designed by Parks & Recreation Horticulturalist Jen Sieradzki (pictured at left with Phillip Vanhove and Mike Shipley). The plan includes a Eastern Redbud and River Birch trees, Fragrant Sumac and Button Bush shrubs and lots of Prairie Cord grass and Switch grass, River Oats, Tussock Sedge, and Blue Flag Iris. Native plants are used because they are acclimated to Missouri weather extremes and soils. Native plants also tend to root deeply providing protection from erosion and encouraging infiltration of surface water. By absorbing water, native plants reduce stormwater runoff and its associated pollutants. Wet-loving plants are planted within the channel, and other plants, shrubs and trees are planted along the channel banks.
Creating pockets for plants to thrive. Ryan Woods, Tom Wellman, Kyle McReynolds, Allison Anderson and Terry Freeman
Tom Wellman and Michelle Ortbals transferring topsoil to planting pockets.
Blue Flag Iris and Tussock Sedge were planted inside the step pools where they will be wet more frequently. With such rocky structure, it was necessary to create pockets where soil could be placed and retained in order to plant a plant.
In the bottom of the channel planting bags were used to establish the plants. Burlap bags are filled with soil and a plant, then placed in wet spots. The filled bags will stay in place, even during heavy stormwater runoff events. Eventually, sediment will naturally fill in around the plantings and provide opportunities for plants to multiply.
Chris Easley and Jay Hasheider finding a niche to plant some plants.
Rusty Shay and Tim Pohlman planting River Oats along the edge of the channel.
Georganne Bowman and Ed Bulliner Preparing to plant Button Bush.
Shipley planting a plant!
Kyle George watering newly planted vegetation.
Although established native vegetation does not require irrigation, the establishment phase of any planting requires lots of water. Installing plants prior to a hot and dry long weekend required lots of watering before and after the weekend. We're looking forward to some rain in the forecast!
Most of the planting crew.
Thanks to all who helped, we could not have done it without you!
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.
.
Time lapse video of step pool construction. Note: inactive days are non-work days (weekends).
The City of Columbia Water Department has been "stepping" up their work. Since mid-January, the Water Department has had a crew of two or three operators working on construction of over 18 "steps" and "pools" to replace an incised channel.
Looking upstream, incised and eroding channel is approximately three feet deep.
The channel behind the Columbia Water & Light Pole Yard on Ashley Street carries runoff from the City Power Plant, the Public Works Maintenance Operations facility (Grissum), parts of Ashley Street, adjacent private businesses and the pole yard. Approximately 300 feet of channel will be retrofit with a system of steps and pools that will filter, infiltrate and slow down runoff through the channel. The final system of steps and pools will filter out pollution and reduce runoff from the sites. These measures help improve the health and water quality of Bear Creek.
Work begins with clearing underbrush to access the downstream part of the channel.
Looking downstream, the Forestry Division of the Parks & Recreation Department clears the underbrush and Water Department prepares access to the site.
Looking upstream, access is complete and step pool construction can begin.
Once the site has been cleared (including the invasive Honeysuckle), an access was installed so equipment could reach the downstream end of the project. Flow has been temporarily diverted to an existing roadside channel along Interstate 70. Erosion and sediment control measures are installed. Construction of the step pools can begin.
Looking downstream, various sizes of rock are used to install the step pools.
Pools are constructed to hold water to allow the runoff to infiltrate to the constructed sand layer below the rock pools. The layers of rock and sand along with future plants will remove pollutants from the runoff.
Looking downstream, pools are stepping down to the right.
The "step" between the pools reduces the erosive potential of the water. The "step" is constructed of large rock shaped like a check dam to slow the flow of water and direct it toward the center of the channel. Although the pools look stark now, restoration of the stream channel will be complete when native plants are installed to keep the banks stable, help remove pollutants from runoff and provide a natural aesthetic.
Many steps and pools are yet to be constructed over the next month or so. Meanwhile, shredded mulch is placed to prevent surface erosion. Planting will take place this spring.
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).
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)
Construction of the bioswale on Ashely Street is complete, just in time for a rainfall event!
What’s the difference between the before and after?It’s all in what you DON’T see.Much of the existing materials were excavated and replaced with an engineered soil mix. The soil mix will filter the stormwater runoff from smaller storms, removing sediment, oil, grease, and excess nutrients.Most of our rainfall events are smaller storms, therefore most of the runoff will be treated.Runoff from large events will flow into the area inlet. Native grass seed was sown in the bioswale.Native grasses are more suited to the Missouri weather extremes.Additionally, native grasses tend to be more deeply rooted encouraging infiltration and filtration of the runoff.
BEFORE - Bioswale on Ashley Street prior to reconstruction
Excavation of existing material and reconstruction of area inlet.
Public Works Stormwater Crew placing rock in flowline on top of engineered soil mix.
AFTER - Bioswale on Ashley upon completion.
We'll post more photos when the grass comes in!
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).
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.
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)
