How Storm Water Quality Reduces Flooding

Over the last century, urban sprawl has created environmental issues with storm water throughout communities of the United States. Loss of green space along with the increase of populations has generated life contaminates to enter the water and drainage systems. Invasive species are overtaking streams, marshlands, and open spaces. The Federal Government has issued non-funded mandates to the EPA, requiring communities to start addressing their storm water systems. These mandates require municipalities to create programs to treat their streams, waterways and lakes along with public education and outreach.Once a farming community of over 17 square miles, the City of Westlake is now almost fully developed and relatively flat with flooding problems that cause property damage. This paper outlines how this city combined both problems and found a solution that help resolve both issue, while creating an eco-friendly park.This project was a riparian corridor restoration project that protects and enhances a major drainage channel (Dover Ditch). This is done by converting an ill-maintained basins, urbanized drainage channel and dumping ground into a 20 acre nature preserve for the community. This project is along a major arterial that connects two interstates, which creates excellent exposure. Previously, this urbanized drainage channel has been found to have poor water quality by the County Board of Health and the Ohio EPA, which was a concern due to a swimming beach being located at the outfall of the watershed.Part of the land for this project is owned by Metro Health, a local non-profit public health care system. The land from Metro Health, for this project, was acquired by the means of a conservation easement as opposed to purchasing, which was a savings of 1.8 million. That money instead could be used for the project in lieu of a land purchase. This created a great partnership between these two entities.The overall project goals were as follows:Improve water quality, uptake nutrients and breakdown contaminants in the restored wetlands.Restore creek side vegetation and prevent erosion.Eliminate invasive species.Provide aesthetic preservation benefits.Provide additional nature preserve for the community.Increase public awareness.Remove a blight in the community.Protect existing wetlands so that they remain locally and are not land banked elsewhere.Reduce localized flooding by lowering the hydraulic grade line.Currently, this urbanized drainage channel has no ecological benefit due to the degradation that has occurred over time from development, which has removed the following:Natural flow patternCreek side vegetationWetland flood plainsWater qualityAnimal and Fish Habitats