Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Building Green Infrastructure in

New England:
Watershed Interventions that Work

Juli Beth Hinds, AICP

VHB Pioneer, North Ferrisburgh, VT
July 8, 2009

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Four Green Infrastructure/Wet Weather Flow

Management Projects
Wellesley, MA: West Campus Project
Burlington, VT: Englesby Pond & Marsh
South Burlington, VT:
Farrell Street Project
Bartlett Brook Stormwater Treatment System
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Project Features:
1. Total Project Costs of $0.3 to $2.5 million –
multiple funding sources
2. Retrofits of existing impervious surface
3. Watershed-based, not parcel-based
4. Dealt with variety of wet weather issues:
flooding/hydrology, nutrients, sediment, bacteria/beach
closures, bank erosion
5. Significant re-routing of existing drainage systems
into new landscapes & systems
6. Combination of solutions and techniques
7. **Great water quality outcomes!

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Watershed Design Cost Key WQ Technique Key

Plan / Eng. Concern s Used Result

Wellesley West VHB/ @ $2 Peak flow Created marsh, Flow

structural attenuation,
College Campus M. Van million reduction &
treatment, ED reduced
Plan Valken­ sedimentation pond & sedimentation
berg infiltration basins , aesthetics,
Assoc. hatibat

Engelsby/ Center for Stantec $1.1 Bacteria & Created marsh & 80% P
ED pond removal,
Burlington Watershed million phosphorous
beach
Protection reopened!

Farrell St./ VHB HTA/ $1.85 Sediment, ED pond, Flow

separators, attenuation,
South Burl. Pioneer VHB million peak flow
streambank streambank
Pioneer reduction, stabilization, new & channel
streambank culvert, stable
infiltration basin
Bartlett/ VHB L&D $300K + Bacteria, peak Constructed No E. coli,
wetland, stream stream
South Burl. Pioneer land flow &
& habitat meets Class
value phosphorous restoration B standard!
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Why is this not like parking lot BMPs or flood

control?

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure is a four­part approach to

watersheds & landscapes.
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructure:
Make it safe to go back in the water.

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

#1:
Have a Plan.

If you’re only working in

reaction mode, you’ll miss
opportunities for watershed
intervention.
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

#2: Be open to new partnerships. Lots of ‘em.

“What am I doing on
this boat with these
crazy people? “

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

#3: Improvise
with what you
have – you
don’t always
get a bigger
boat.
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

#4: Learn to Love Leftovers.

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

The Jaws Principles in Action:

Improvise!

Partnership!
Plan!

Love
Leftovers!
Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Wellesley College West Campus

“Alumnae Valley” Landscape Renewal
� Part of a multi-phase
restoration of the West
Campus area
� Significant interventions
in the drainage system,
landscape & built
environment of Alumnae
Valley area
� Significant aesthetic and
environmental benefits!

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

1. Plan:
Subwatershed: 25 ac
impervious, closed
drainage system with
inputs from five locations

Drainage routed under

Lake Waban; significant
sedimentation problems

Historic development and

grading contributed to the
problems.

Courtesy Michael Van Valkenburgh Assoc.

 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

2. Partnerships:
Project Resources

Architect: Electrical Engineer:

Mack Scogin Merrill Elam
Architects
Civil Engineer:
Vanasse Hangen Brustlin,
Inc. (VHB)
Geotechnical Engineer:
Haley & Aldrich, Inc.
Soil Scientist:
Pine & Swallow
Associates, Inc.
General Contractor:
Richard White Sons, Inc.
Site Contractor:
Maxymillian Technologies
ARUP
Irrigation:
Irrigation Management &
Services
Meadow Consultant:
Prairie Restorations, Inc.
Bamboo Consultant:
Susanne Lucas
Landscape Contractor:
ValleyCrest Landscape Landscape Architect: Michael Van
Development Valkenburgh Associates
Graphics and Signage
Consultant:
H Plus Inc.

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

3. Improvise: Use pumps AND bamboo!

Project
included new
36-in. drain
line,
alteration of
inverts, new
pump station
to recirculate
sw and
alleviate
flooding
issues – as
well as
natural
landscape
features
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

4. Learn to Love (Land) Leftovers.

173-space parking lot removed for natural treatment and landscape area;
spaces relocated to structured parking garage.
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Impaired Streams + Beaches = Bad.

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

OH NO!
Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Green Infrastructure to the Rescue!

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Bartlett Brook Stormwater Treatment System

� Plan: 1985 (!) and 2007 Watershed
Plans & Hydrologic Models, VHB Pioneer

� Partnership: Champlain Water

District, Shearer Chevrolet, Vtrans, VT
Railway, City of South Burlington,
Lamoureux & Dickinson Consulting
Engineers, Vermont Youth Conservation
Corps, and 13 funding sources

� Improvise: Interventions in US
Route 7 drainage system to treat first
flush from lower Shelburne Road +
stream restoration

� Leftovers: Railway setback & back

lot of car dealership!
Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Vermont’s “guinea pig” project for

watershed intervention using a green
infrastructure approach.

Highly complex & hydrologically stressed

watershed with extremely erodible soils

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Great Outcomes:
� Nutrient, bacteria and
sediment removal (70% P)
� No detectable petroleum
hydrocarbons at outfall
� Model for using VT Youth
Conservation Corps for SW projects
� Restored stream channel meets Class B biocriteria
� Sold community & other partners on the benefits and potential
for success of complex green infrastructure retrofits

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

HOW NOT TO FUND YOUR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT:

•Vermont Agency of Transportation Enhancement Grant $112,600
•Champlain Water District $21,000
•City of South Burlington (cash) $5,000
•City of South Burlington (labor) $11,000
•Vermont Department of Envi. Conservation Section 319 & Watershed
Improvement Grant $72,000
•Lake Champlain Basin Program $33,500
•National Fish and Wildlife Foundation EPA 5 Star $10,000
•Waterwheel Foundation $7,500
•Lintillhac Foundation $6,000
•Bartlett Brook Supplementary Environmental Project $1,000
•Shearer Chevrolet Easement Donation $203,900
•Volunteer work and in-kind services provided by Vermont Commons School of
South Burlington, and the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps.
ADMINISTRATIVE TIME FOR ALL GRANTS: DON’T ASK.
Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Englesby Brook: Shallow Marsh & Pond

� Plan: 1998 Englesby Brook
Restoration Plan by Center for
Watershed Protection
� Partnership: Stantec, City of
Burlington & Champlain
Elementary
� Improvise: Interventions in
US Route 7 drainage system
� Leftovers: Behind the school

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Englesby Brook: Shallow Marsh & Pond

� Cost: $1.1 million
� Funding: EPA STAG, City funds
� Water quality outcomes:
• BEACH REOPENED IN 2007!
• Recent USGS Monitoring Data
indicates 80% phosphorous removal
• No stream channel data to date
• Great educational resource for kids

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Potash Brook: Farrell Street

� Plan: 2001 Watershed Restoration Plan
by VHB Pioneer, funded by EPA Region 1

� Partnership: City of South

Burlington, Vtrans, VT Dept. of Buildings &
General Services, Chittenden Correctional
Facility, 4 commercial landowners, Hoyle
Tanner & Associates, VHB Pioneer

� Improvise: Detention Basin, Bio­

infiltration basin, Hydrodynamic Swirl
Separator, Porous Asphalt, New Culvert

� Leftovers: Land between the jail

and the Interstate Highway
Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

HAVE A
PLAN!

Fails just
downstream of
culvert/outfalls.

Meets Class B
biocriteria here.

LAND Learn to love

LEFTOVER! leftovers!
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Replace
New ED parking with
Pond porous
pavement

Remove
parking, install
bio-infiltration New
and bank Culvert
stabilization

Partnerships and
Improvising

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

$1.85 million, 3 years and six

negotiated parking spaces later…
� First porous pavement installation
in VT – HIGHLY successful
� Stream channel & bank stabilized
� 140% of WQv provided by pond,
greatly reducing peak flow issues
� Success in convincing Vtrans,
BGS to allow use of “land
leftovers” for green infrastructure.
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

MAJOR KEY TO ONGOING SUCCESS IN

BOTH COMMUNITIES:
UTILITY­BASED FUNDING
Burlington, South Burlington both have
utility/fee-based programs (SB since
2004, BTV coming on line today)

Allows financing with revenue

anticipation notes

Creates framework for long-range

capital budgeting and planning

IT’S EASIER WITH A BIGGER

BOAT!

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

But no matter how …you can be a partner in

challenging these projects green infrastructure
can be… success!
 Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Contacts:
� WELLESLEY COLLEGE: Chris Lovett, VHB;
clovett@vhb.com
� BARTLETT & FARRELL ST.: Juli Beth Hinds,
VHB; jhinds@vhb.com; Tom DiPietro, City of
South Burlington; tdipietro@sburl.com
� ENGLESBY: Jack Myers, Stantec;
jack.myers@stantec.com or Norm Baldwin, City of
Burlington; nbaldwin@ci.burlington.vt.us

Managing Wet Weather Flows with Green Infrastructure

Watershed Design Cost Key WQ Technique Key

Plan / Eng. Concern s Used Result

Wellesley West VHB/ @ $2 Peak flow Created marsh, Flow

structural attenuation,
College Campus M. Van million reduction &
treatment, ED reduced
Plan Valken­ sedimentation pond & sedimentation
berg infiltration basins , aesthetics,
Assoc. hatibat

Engelsby/ Center for Stantec $1.1 Bacteria & Created marsh & 80% P
ED pond removal,
Burlington Watershed million phosphorous
beach
Protection reopened!

Farrell St./ VHB HTA/ $1.85 Sediment, ED pond, Flow

separators, attenuation,
South Burl. Pioneer VHB million peak flow
streambank streambank
Pioneer reduction, stabilization, new & channel
streambank culvert, stable
infiltration basin
Bartlett/ VHB L&D $300K + Bacteria, peak Constructed No E. coli,
wetland, stream stream
South Burl. Pioneer land flow &
& habitat meets Class
value phosphorous restoration B standard!