Stream Enhancement Project at Cowper Drive Park
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Stream Enhancement Project at Cowper Drive Park
Project is led by Stormwater Management Division
Project Overview:
The City has proposed a stream enhancement project at Cowper Drive Park. This area, historically known as Potomac Park, is located in the heart of the Five Points/Hayes Barton area of Raleigh. This site was originally recommended to the City for stabilization work by Camp Dresser & McKee in a 2001 Water Quality Improvement Plan for Pigeon House Branch. Pigeon House Branch is the watershed which drains much of the downtown area, including North Carolina’s state government complex, the Oakwood and Mordecai neighborhoods, the Cameron Village area, as well Five Points and Hayes Barton. Pigeon House Branch is notoriously known as Raleigh’s most polluted stream. Impairment of this stream is the result of runoff from impervious surfaces associated with the urban development in the watershed; straightening, hardening, and other man made modifications of the stream; and pollution from years past as well as today.
The City’s goal is to improve the water quality in Pigeon House Branch and eventually remove Pigeon House Branch from North Carolina’s list of impaired streams. To move towards this goal, Raleigh has planned for several projects within the watershed, aimed at improving water quality for the stream. The stream enhancement project at Cowper Drive Park is one component of this plan. Sediment is one of the largest contributors to water quality degradation and stream bank erosion is a significant source of sediment into our waterways. The goal of the stream enhancement project is to prevent further erosion, and thereby significantly reducing the sediment load into the stream, as well as restoring habitat and biological integrity in the stream.
In 2006, the City contracted with Kimley-Horn and Associates to design the stream enhancement project for Cowper Drive Park. This stream enhancement project includes the use of boulder structures along the stream bank, grading to lay stream banks back to a stable slope, combined with an intensive landscaping plan to permanently stabilize from further erosion. The current plan for the park is to preserve as many large, mature trees as possible, while stabilizing the stream to prevent further erosion. In turn, the stream enhancement design includes an intensive landscaping plan to completely revitalize the planted areas along the stream banks after construction is complete.
Two community meetings were held in 2006. The first meeting, held on September 7, 2006, introduced the project to the neighboring community and opened the door to receive comments and ideas for the project before any designs began. A second community meeting was held on December 6, 2007. Designs were presented for the 25% design stage (essentially the first rough draft of the design) at the December meeting.
All public comments regarding this project must be received by City of Raleigh Stormwater Management Division staff no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 12, 2007.
Project News:
A community meeting was held on Monday, July 30, 2007 at the Raleigh Municipal Building downtown. Another meeting has been scheduled for September 24, 2007 at 7pm in Room 201 of the Raleigh Municipal Building at 222 West Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh. This meeting on September 24 is to allow residents who were unable to attend the July 30 meeting another opportunity to view the presentation and see the most recent designs for the stream enhancement project. Residents who wish to join the mailing list for the project should contact Amy Hathaway to be sure you receive mailing announcements about future meetings.
Downloads:
Presentation from July 30, 2007 Community Meeting (5.35 MB .pdf file)
Plan View of Overall Design - July 2007 (837 KB .pdf file)
Memo from Urban Forester regarding recent tree removal - August 1, 2007 (29 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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