The Water Garden under construction in October 2008
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Fred Fletcher Park Water Garden
The City has completed installation of the Fred Fletcher Park Water Garden. This Water Garden was originally included in the park’s approved Master Plan and was a planned feature for this area of the park. It is located near the intersection of Glenwood Avenue and Washington Street in a wooded area that was previously unmanaged. This new park feature provides several benefits to park patrons and the City, which include the following:
- Creating an aesthetically pleasing garden with a variety of evergreen and perennial plant species;
- A new ecosystem for this area of the park for butterflies, dragonflies, frogs, ducks, and other animal species;
- Naturally filtering stormwater that flows into the water garden to clean the runoff before flowing downstream into Pigeon House Branch; and
- Serving as an educational opportunity for neighboring schools and park patrons on the new habitat and the functions of the water garden.
Fred Fletcher Park lies within the Pigeon House Branch watershed, one of Raleigh’s most polluted streams and this Water Garden feature improves water quality within this watershed. When it rains, polluted stormwater runoff passing through the Water Garden is naturally cleansed as it flows into deep pools and winds its way through the remaining wetland areas.
When visiting the Water Garden, you will notice different water levels within the garden. There are four deep pools which will capture sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants as they drift to the bottom of the pools when stormwater first flows into the Water Garden. After settling in the deep pools, the rest of the water flows in a winding path through the wetland areas where finer sediments and dissolved pollutants are filtered. Shallow land areas (or upper marsh zones) are seen in between the shallow water areas. These shallow land areas are normally dry land, but will temporarily be inundated with water when it rains.
A wide variety of wetland vegetation was selected for the different water depths and land areas within the Water Garden. The Water Garden is home to such a wide variety of plant species to encourage a diverse wildlife population, including dragonflies to prey on mosquitoes. You will see the wetland vegetation grow and mature during the first few growing seasons. City staff will be watching the Water Garden closely to ensure the now immature plants thrive during the first growing season.
Project Background:
In the early 2000s, North Carolina initiated regulations for Raleigh and other large municipalities in the Neuse River Basin to protect its rivers and lakes from stormwater pollution. Stormwater runoff is created when rainwater runs off hard surfaces like rooftops, sidewalks, and roadways. As Raleigh continues to make efforts to improve local water quality in area streams, rivers, and lakes, the results will have far reaching impacts throughout the Neuse Basin and Pamlico Sound.
Before regulations were put in place to prevent stormwater pollution from Raleigh’s growing development, stormwater would collect pollutants, such as nutrients, bacteria, and sediment, and carry them to the nearest stream and ultimately the Neuse River.
The Water Garden at Fred Fletcher Park is an example of a natural water feature that enhances the park while improving water quality. As pollutants are captured within areas of the water garden and vegetation helps filter nutrients out of the water, the City will need to maintain the water garden and periodically remove any accumulated pollutants.
Project News:
- Construction of the Fred Fletcher Park Water Garden was completed in November 2008.
- City of Raleigh Stormwater Management staff are currently collecting water samples from the Water Garden during rain events to evaluate how well the Water Garden is improving water quality for the Pigeon House Branch watershed.
- A dedication ceremony is being planned by the City of Raleigh Parks and Recreation Department for early June 2009. Please continue to check this website for future updates.
- If you have any questions or wish to join the mailing list for the project, please email Amy Hathaway with “Fred Fletcher Park List Serv” in the Subject line to be sure you receive mailing announcements.
Special Thanks:
The City of Raleigh wishes to thank all its project partners and funding sources for this exciting project at Fred Fletcher Park. This project was awarded grant funding in 2005 from an EPA Section 319 Grant, administered by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Additional funding was awarded to the Fred Fletcher Park Water Garden in 2007 from the North Carolina Clean Water Management Trust Fund.
The Water Garden at Fred Fletcher Park was designed by CDM; designs were completed in December 2007. Construction of the Water Garden began in March 2008 and was completed in November 2008 by Fluvial Solutions, Inc. The lead project engineers from the City of Raleigh Stormwater Management Division were Amy Hathaway E.I. and Mark Senior, P.E.
Downloads:
Plan View of Conceptual Design - January 2007(444 KB .pdf file)
Panoramic View of Conceptual Design - January 2007(663 KB .pdf file)
For More Information Contact:
Amy Hathaway
Water Quality Engineer
Public Works Department
222 West Hargett Street (RM 301)
Raleigh, NC 27602
919-996-3940
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