SPRING LAKE PARK:A Case Study for Green Infrastructure & LID

Jim TheilerJames.Theiler@cityofomaha.orgCity of OmahaEnvironmental Services Manager

Omaha CSO Program & Spring Lake ParkAn example of what is possible…

Challenges Facing Omaha Meet the increasing

requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act

Balancing the following needs: Regulatory compliance Economic affordability Community acceptance

EconomicAffordability

Community Acceptance

Regulatory Compliance

CSOSolutions

CSO is not a sewer separation program, it is not the City’s sewer

overhaul program

*When Omaha is ‘done’ separating the sewers as a part of CSO, it will have separated less than 20% of is combined sewer system*

CSO is a Public Health Program that must meet

federal law that requires us to reduce the amount of human sewage and disease causing bacteria that enter the rivers

and streams.

Evolution of the CSO Program 2009 - Original CSO LTCP submitted to NDEQ 2014 - Revised CSO LTCP submitted Both LTCPs generally rely on ‘gray infrastructure’

Need to manage 8 billion gallons of CSO annually Assumed there was little “green” in the original LTCP…

Evolution of the CSO Program Green Infrastructure was part of the program from

the start... may not have called it “green” Use water as a resource instead of a waste product Each capital project explores GI opportunities Committed to working with private entities & all

City Departments, including Parks Department Parks in Omaha provide a unique opportunity for

GI, projects so far include:

CSO GI in Omaha ParksA great collaboration…

Elmwood Park - 2012 Spring Lake Park - 2016 Adams Park - 2016 Field Club Trail, Vinton-2016 Albright Park (Gilmore) -

Construction Fontanelle Park – Just started Hanscom Park – 90% design Hitchcock Park –95% design Others being exploredNon-park GI Country Club - 2013 SOIA Lift Station – 2014 24th Street - 2015

Elmwood Park29 acres of Aksarben neighborhood routed through park w/7 weirs, bioswale & bioretention

Adams Park WetlandsLarge scale GI taking on 277 acres of urban runoff with 77 acre-feet of detention volue

Fontanelle ParkConstruction started March 2017; utilizing former golf course & existing lagoon

Hanscom ParkOldest Omaha park; improving existing pond & embracing water through the park

Welcome toSpring Lake Park!

Initial Grey Solution vs Final GI Plan

Storm pipe through park vs 20 GI elements

Multiple benefits w/GI

Overview of Spring Lake Park

Overview of Spring Lake Park

2 phases to the project

Missouri Ave

S 13th St

S 24th St

F St

S 27th St

J St

B St

I 80

S 16th St

Spring Lake Dr

John F Kennedy Expy

S Omaha Bridge Rd

S 22nd St

Funding Saved approx. $5 million by utilizing GI Grants from Nebraska Environmental Trust &

Nebraska Game and Parks commission totaled $1.3 million

Overall, the project cost the City $10.4 million dollars, with funding paid for from the Sewer Revenue Fund

Why this project… This was not the City’s idea, this was the

neighborhood’s idea. My boss at the time, Marty Grate, said that the City

needed a ‘signature project’ that helped give back to the community something tangible, to help them see what they are paying for

The Public Works Department asked permission from the Parks Department to use Spring Lake as that project.

Janet BonetSouth Omaha ResidentSpring Lake Park Team

A Little History and Residents Perspective

Spring Lake

Park TeamPresident Janet BonetVice President Jason

RoseSecretary John BonetTreasurer Callyann

CasteelBoard Members

James BonetJean IncontroGary Hansum

Keeping Nature in the City

Spring Lake Neighborhood

Spring Lake School

Henry Doorly Zoo

Rosenblatt Stadium

Spring Lake Golf Course

South High School

Suicide Hill / Baseball Field

County Treasurer Office

Current Swimming Pool

Old Ball field

1930’s Rubble Fill

Small Dam

Tree Frog aka Cricket Frog

Dragonfly Swarm August 2010

Sunflower and Honey Bee

Deer

Blue Grosbeak

Chipping Sparrow

Motivation for a community to take action

The Spark1994 Dedication of new playground

1960’s Landfill Site part of the park

The playground, parking, and picnic shelter (1994) are in the background.

The “dead spot”, noticed in 1995, is in the foreground.150 ppm salt

Somebody should

do something

Heritage

1994 – SLPT BLOSSOMS DRIVES EFFORT TO “PUT THE LAKE BACK IN SPRING LAKE PARK”

1995 – FEDERAL MANDATE SEWER SEPARATION

1999 – SLPT & KSU COMMUNITY VISIONING 2000 – COMPLIANCE ENFORCEMENT

NOTICE 2001 – SLPT CONCEPT PRESENTED TO

MAYOR 2002 – OMAHA GEARS UP FOR CSO

PROGRAM 2005 – SLPT AMONG COMMUNITY

STAKEHOLDERS ON CSO STEERING COMMITTEE

Moving toward doing something

Why do it? It has been said: It’ll never happen, City does not care about

South O It’s just a dump anyway, just fill it in I’ll be dead before those trees make shade I’m leaving the neighborhood why should I

care The city doesn’t care about our parks why

should I The kids today will just mess it up so why try It’ll cost too much Nobody will appreciate all that work Who the heck cares Who is going to take care of it when it’s done

Positive Partnerships

Broader-than-usual Out-of-the-box Creative Project-specific Mutually beneficial Truly collaborative Uniquely innovative Community inclusive

In order to be poised to seize the opportunities presented by changes in the broader trends: Community needs/wants Government mandates/budgets NGO funding shifts Social/environmental conditions Engineering & design

innovations Funding sources

Keep Omaha Beautiful Douglas County Health Dept Nebraska Dept Environmental Quality Papio Missouri Natural Resources District City Depts. – Parks, Planning, Public

Works Jacobson Helgoth Consultants / Tetra

Tech Nebraska Wildlife Federation Audubon Society & Sierra Club Groundwater Guardian Program

Society for Ecological Restoration Nebraska Statewide Arboretum Joslyn Institute for Sustainable

Communities EPA TOSC / Kansas State Univ UNL Water Resources Program KSU Urban Design in School of

Architecture National Parks Service Center for Health, Environment & Justice

Advisory Team & Expert Resources

The Other Kind of Experts Neighbors –

residents and businesses

History Sources

Youth / Schools

Community Groups

Potential Park Visitors

39

SLNA Visioning Session with KSU Team

Inclusive40

The condition of our parks says a lot about our city, its government, and its people.

Environmental Health Reflects and Impacts Community Health

Small seep area NW of pond, south of F Street --- 1999

SLPT’s Plan October 2001 at The Mayor’s Office

2014 - looking north from 14th & J48

Summer 2015, 14th & J St. No outlet

Old Dam - South of F Street - 2000 with KSU Urban Design Class

.

Spring below Swimming

Pool road in 2000

Is now underwater

feeding the Lake

Of Miracles and Mandates: Maximizing Opportunities for

Partnership BuildingBy Janet BonetNeighborhood ActivistSouth Omaha, Nebraska

NUSAHouston, TXMay 22, 2015

EPA – Region 7Technical Outreach Services to Communities at Kansas State University

CSO!

CSO’sCommunity

Liaison

Another rare bird

Keep Partners and Public Informed and Involved

Spring 2016 Public Tour

Big Muddy Workshop 2015 Renderings of Lake Concept

Summer 2016

Annual Neighborhood Clean-up 2015

2016 Annual Park Spring Clean Up

The year of Garbage,

Goats&

Guns

Thank you!

Pat Slaven, PLA, ASLACity of OmahaPark Planner

Omaha Parks and the CSO Program

Project Role: Department Liaison between the Parks Department and everyone else

Return the “lake” to Spring Lake Park

Park Goals: Respect History of the Park

Attract more and a greater diversity of wildlife

Park Goals: Wildlife Habitat

Provide more and varied recreation opportunities in the Park

Park Goals: Recreation

Don’t increase maintenance for park maintenance and golf course staff

Park Goals: Low Maintenance

Making sure we’re all swimming in the same direction

Parks and the Project TeamPark Planner Responsibilities on CSO Projects: Make sure everyone understands Parks Department goals for the

project Attend regular meetings with Public Works, consultants, project

management team Attend onsite meetings to discuss issues and solutions Review and comment on progress plans in terms of park goals Enforce Parks Dept. tree mitigation requirements Coordinate with other park entities, i.e. golf course staff, park

maintenance staff, etc. and communicate their concerns to the project team

Park Tree Mitigation – Individual Trees

(#sq ft canopy/500) x 2

Mitigation – Continuous Canopy with Understory

Will create maintenance nightmare, wet areas Will create places to lose balls, slowing down

play Will interfere with play in general

Golf Courses and Green Infrastructure

G.I. Team met onsite Bob and golf course staff Discussed concerns Developed design to address concerns

Golf Courses and Green Infrastructure

Parks to mow, pick up trash Public Works to hire or contract out for special

crews to maintain green infrastructure components

Park Maintenance

Educational Signage

Describes history of the spring lake, the CSO project lake reconstruction and the benefits of putting the lake back into Spring Lake Park.

Bilingual text makes sign accessible to all citizens

Speakers discuss the key design components of the project

Emily M. Holtzclaw, PECH2MSenior Project Manager

Permits and Compliance

Permitting

USACE 404 NW 27 Solid Waste

Removal Lead in Soils Low Hazard Dam 408 Levee Permit Dewatering PCSWMP NPDES CSW/Grading

Compliance Highlights Regulatory Coordination

Early (Jurisdiction) Consistent

Onsite Mitigation Minimize Impacts Maintaining Seeps Design Tweaks Annual Monitoring

Breach Zone 2017 NW permits

Hydrology & Hydraulic Design

Rocky J Keehn, PESEHSenior Water Resources Engineer

Project Role: Lead Water Resources Engineer for Consultant Team

The Modeling Challenge

Required to Design for: Green Infrastructure, 10-year, 100-year, Dam Break – PMP and natural seepage flows

Water Quality -Cascading Planes

Lots of models use this concept. Aids in showing

Note: areas broken into direct impervious and indirect (includes pervious). For indirect pervious CN was from 74 in urban yard areas and 61 in undisturbed areas

HydroCAD

Water Quality – First Flush Systems

HydroCAD

Inlet

1st Flush

Large Flows

1st Flush PondEmergency Outlet Natural Downstream Pond

Primary Outlet

Water Quality – Manhole Spillway

HydroCAD

Inlet

1st Flush

Large Flows

1st Flush PondEmergency Outlet Natural

Spillway

Primary Outlet Infiltration Pond

Downstream, no pipes

New Conveyance Channel

HydroCAD

100yr – cross entire valley

10yr – about 20 feet wide

Vegetated

About 1 foot incised

Detention to protect channel

#5 Primary outlet to channel #4 -Gate Control to

adjust flows from pond

HydroCAD

#2 - Location Primary Overflow -Armored

#3 - Location Emergency Overflow –Access Road

#1 Pond outlet to Gate Control MH

Detention Pond

Constructed Wetland – final protection

Multiple depths…various vegetation

Stop Logs Control water elevation which allow “tweaking” to make sure vegetation as planned is established

Stop Logs

HydroCAD

7 area contribution to wetland

Extend Dry Basin Outlet

Spring Flow

Lake Drawdown pipe

MH with gateLake control structure, main overflow

Emergency “F” Street dam overflow.

Lake Outlet

Complex Outlet Under “F” Street

Extend Dry Basin Overflow

Dam Design Floods all way up north valley, 100 year all under water including wetland, 10-year trail just under water

Final Hydraulic StructuresSouth Side “F” Street

North Side “F” Street

Value of modeling…something not working…design or construction

related?

Emergency overflow, showing signs of flow and erosion

Primary overflowCone Structure

Emergency overflow designed for 10-year.

Primary: 1070.71, Emergency 1071.50, 10-year 1071.24.Road OK

Emergency overlow working too often.Check. As-built Prim: 1071.24, 10-year now 1071.58Overtops road!

Model explains what might be the problem...shows a very sensitive design.

Treatment Train..

SAFL Baffle in residential

neighborhood

First Flush Diversion Manhole

Extended Dry Detention

BasinDry Detention

Facility

Meandering Channel with

Boulder Drops

Constructed Wetland

Flat Sloped

Channel

Spring Lake

Combined Pipe now

Storm Pipe

Missouri River

Conveyance Train

Dry Detention Pond and gated outlet pipe

Meandering Channel with Boulder Drops

Constructed Wetland and outlet pipe under trail to Lake

Energy Dissipation Structure to “Natural” Channel

Spring Lake and pipe under “F” Street

Low flow culvert and “Texas Crossing” to wetland

Roof/impervious surface near houses

Though the yards

Down the Street

Storm pipes through the park

Replace pipes (grey) with surface flow (green) to reduce project cost

Dry Detention Pond and gated outlet pipe

Meandering Channel with Boulder Drops

Constructed Wetland and outlet pipe under trail to Lake

Energy Dissipation Structure to “Natural” Channel

Spring Lake and pipe under “F” Street

Low flow culvert and “Texas Crossing” to wetland

or 2500 feet (1/2 mile) of 36” to 66” RCP Underground Storm Pipe

Green infrastructure reduced cost by $5 million

Questions . . .Or time for a break!