Client: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
Location: Charlotte, NC

Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services partnered on this stream restoration and enhancement and stormwater quality retrofit project along Briar Creek in a densely urban area of the City of Charlotte. The overall goals of the project were to restore Briar Creek, Edwards Branch, and the Chantilly Tributary, improve water quality through improved stormwater management, and obtain stream mitigation credits for the City of Charlotte’s Umbrella Mitigation Bank. Prior to the project, the Doral and Cavalier apartment complexes were located within the 100-year floodplain of the project site. Mecklenburg County purchased and removed the flood-prone buildings as part of the FEMA flood mitigation buyout program, which provided the space necessary to expand the existing community park, incorporate stormwater quality retrofits, and restore portions of degraded streams. Over 4,400 linear feet of stream restoration and enhancement was performed, two stormwater quality best management practices (BMPs) were installed within the floodplain of Briar Creek, and the ground was prepared for greenway and recreational trails to be expanded in the future. Wildlands’ scope included design of a replacement sewer line under a reach of restored stream between two manholes. Extensive hydraulic analysis was required to support a floodplain no-rise certification. Wildlands also prepared a feasibility study and an alternatives analysis for the Chantilly Tributary and BMP components of the project. Wildlands Realty, our in-house realty firm, negotiated five donated stormwater easements on private parcels. Construction was completed in 2018.