Wildlands Engineering / 
December 8, 2021

Hendersonville Multi-Area Streambank Restoration Project

Client: City of Hendersonville
Location: Hendersonville, NC

 

The Multi‐Area Streambank Restoration Project is a City of Hendersonville (City) initiative to restore approximately 11,000 linear feet of streambanks at 13 sites throughout the City. The project purpose is to protect sanitary sewer and other City infrastructure and improve water quality in Mud Creek, an impaired stream on the state’s 303(d) list using a green infrastructure-focused approach. Grant funding through the Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) requires state review of the project bid package and the acquisition of easements on each parcel.

 

Wildlands collaborated with the City to select a variety of approaches to address site needs and existing conditions including natural channel design, buffer enhancement, stormwater retrofits, and streambank restoration and stabilization measures. Project components included site assessment, a preliminary design, community outreach, project easement development, final design, permitting, construction oversight and monitoring. Construction was completed in 2021.

 

Wildlands used ArcGIS online and other cloud-stored data to facilitate easements and outreach and during the construction phase to track progress and post site photos and punch list items.

 

As part of the project, sites were evaluated for threatened and endangered species, jurisdictional determination (stream and wetland delineation), and 404/401 and floodplain development permits were obtained for the majority of sites. Six flood studies and hydraulic analysis reports were completed to support floodplain development permits. An erosion control permit was obtained for the project.

July 26, 2021

Reedy Creek Stream Restoration Project

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

 

Wildlands was selected to perform the first design-build project to generate stream and wetland mitigation units for the City of Charlotte Umbrella Stream and Wetland Mitigation Bank. This pilot project is located within the environmentally significant Reedy Creek Nature Preserve and involved the restoration of deeply incised, eroded stream channels to appropriately sized bankfull channels with access to a floodplain and preservation of existing high-quality streams and wetlands. The project consists of approximately 26,400 linear feet (LF) of stream restoration and 15,600 LF of stream preservation for a total of 25,974 stream mitigation credits. Approximately 1.0 wetland mitigation unit will be accomplished through enhancement and preservation of wetlands.

 

Due to the location of the Reedy Creek project in an active park, Wildlands is coordinating directly with Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation on issues that affect the Reedy Creek Nature Preserve’s day-to-day use. Wildlands is also coordinating with research efforts being conducted by UNC-Charlotte. This coordination effort is a great demonstration of Wildlands’ ability to coordinate with stakeholders as well as the general public to facilitate project implementation. Construction was completed in February of 2019.

 

CLICK HERE to check out the project website (designed and developed by Wildlands).

August 15, 2020

Chantilly Ecological Sanctuary at Briar Creek

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.

 

August 15, 2015

Torrence Creek at Huntersville Business Park Stream and Water Quality Enhancement

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

 

Torrence Creek at Huntersville Business Park is an urban stream and water quality enhancement project in Huntersville, NC. The project began with a feasibility study to evaluate alternatives and has included assessment, design, permitting, hydraulic modeling and bid phase assistance. Reach 1 of the project is tightly constrained and was  enhanced within the existing channel. A landscaped look was planned for this higher profile reach. Reach 2 flows through a wooded wetland area that allowed for a meandering restoration approach. Hydraulic modeling was used to design the channel to achieve a no rise condition. Stakeholders included commercial property managers in The Park, Town of Huntersville, and the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Construction was completed in June 2013 and floodplain planting was completed in February 2014.

 

August 15, 2015

Little Sugar Creek Enhancement at Cullman Avenue

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

 

Wildlands completed a stream and water quality enhancement project along Little Sugar Creek in Charlotte’s North Davidson (NoDa) Arts Neighborhood. The site design began in 2008 with a series of public meetings with the NoDa Neighborhood Association residents and business owners to solicit input and rank goals for the ecological and recreational site. The design phase included continued stakeholder coordination with the NoDa Neighborhood Association, adjacent Duke Power transmission right-of-way, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities (CMU) sewer, and private property owners. The project design was developed with budgeted funds in mind, and so several add-alternates were identified for bid purposes. The project includes 1,130 LF of stream restoration and a bioretention area to treat 0.9 acres of off-site drainage. A detailed flood study was performed to document no rise in the FEMA floodplain or the locally regulated Future Land Use floodplain. Wildlands assisted with construction observation, including checking habitat structure installation and reviewing contractor pay requests. Construction was completed in March 2012.

 

wetland mitigation identification and prioritization
August 15, 2015

Wetland Mitigation Identification and Prioritization Project

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

 

Wildlands performed a wetland mitigation identification and prioritization project for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services. The primary goal of the project was to identify wetland restoration and preservation sites within the 524-square mile county area that may be used to provide mitigation credit to the City of Charlotte’s Umbrella Mitigation Bank. The site identification and prioritization process included both GIS analysis and field assessment. A project-specific scoring system was used to prioritize potential project sites. Ultimately, a summary report was developed for each potential wetland mitigation site that described the site’s existing conditions, possible constraints to implementation, and Wildlands’ recommendations for potential restoration or enhancement approaches. These reports demonstrated to City staff how each site ranked in terms of project feasibility, potential for functional lift, and the amount of possible wetland credit that may be created for the City’s Umbrella Mitigation Bank.