Stimson Drain - Valparaiso, Indiana
JFNew led a team that includes several civil engineering firms and representatives from the local university to develop an alternative stormwater management plan for the headwaters of the Stimson Drain system. The plan allows typical stormwater management techniques but encourages development to utilize alternatives through storage reduction incentives, thus reducing space requirements. The primary focus of the management plan was the modification of an existing hydraulic modeling program to account for alternative stormwater management techniques while still providing quantifiable calculations. JFNew presented the management plan, including the results of the model and acceptable alternatives. The presentation also included economic, environmental, and water quality advantages to provide additional support for the plan.
The second phase of the project includes hydrologic modeling and specifying specific Best Management Practices (BMPs) appropriate for the watershed. Based on this information, a BMP manual was developed to specify the conditions most appropriate for the individual practices. The Team will also provide an assessment of the effects of the BMPs on the watershed.
The third phase of the project completed by JFNew involved design of a demonstration alternative BMP system for a newly developed County jail within the watershed. Following approval of the design, JFNew worked directly with a local contract to implement the design. JFNew will continue to provide maintenance of the natural areas and provide oversight of the monitoring activities being conducted by the university students. Preliminary results of the data show the system actually infiltrates all minor to medium rain events better than predevelopment conditions and the quality of discharge water during large rain events is very good.
Indianapolis Combined Sewer Overflow Program - Indianapolis, Indiana
JFNew was a vital part of the project team chosen to develop a Long Term Control Plan for the city. The Indianapolis Combined Sewer Overflow project was directed by a consortium of experienced professionals known as "The Indy Clean Stream Team". The Team was selected for their expertise in dealing with municipal stormwater concerns and created a public-private partnership between the City of Indianapolis and several consulting firms with the goal of minimizing the impact of combined sewer overflow events and fulfilling federal Clean Water Act requirements. The city adopted a watershed approach to water quality issues and JFNew was instrumental in the ongoing development of integrated holistic watershed plans. These watershed plans involve the coordination of city initiatives for storm water BMPs, CSO controls, stream restoration, septic removal, and sanitary sewer maintenance to achieve the best possible urban water quality.
Juday Creek Urban Stormwater Management - St. Joseph County, Indiana
Juday Creek is one of Indiana's few coldwater trout streams and it meanders through some of the most valuable commercial real estate in northern Indiana. Its watershed has both development and agricultural pressures, so well planned commercial growth along the stream and watershed management have become important to the stream's survival. JFNew was contracted to review the stormwater management needs in the basin and identify the feasibility of filtering stormwater through natural areas to improve the quality of water entering the stream. The results of the study leads to the development of conceptual designs for seven stormwater filter basins. The filtration systems are designed to improve water quality by directing stormwater through a series of earthen and vegetated baffles to reduce flow velocities and remove sediment, nutrients and pollutants before discharge into Juday Creek. The outlet structures are designed to discharge cooler, bottom water, thereby reducing thermal pollution of the stream.
To date, five of the systems have been constructed and are functioning. The University of Notre Dame did a year long study of several of the filtration systems and found them to be functioning as designed.
On a related project, JFNew supervised construction of in-stream improvements such as "lunker structures" for wild brown trout, and installation of sediment traps, gravel spawning beds, log deflectors and stream boulders. A pre-improvement fisheries survey was conducted in 1995 and post-improvement surveys have shown significant improvement in the benthic and fisheries populations. JFNew also designed and implemented a stream restoration project in this legal drain as a condition of a permit for construction within the floodway.
Saugatuck Center for the Arts Project - Saugatuck, Michigan
JFNew designed alternative stormwater management practices associated with the Center for the Arts for the City of Saugatuck. This project was funded through a State of Michigan "Cool Cities Catalyst Project." The project involves the renovation of an old pie factory into the Saugatuck Center for the Arts and enhancement of the adjacent city parking lot, including a rain garden and a vegetated swale/raingarden series at Coghlin Park. JFNew's design incorporated native plantings to naturally address stormwater management in an urban setting while visually integrating with the contemporary social fabric of Saugatuck.
JFNew assisted the City by utilizing the Catalyst Grant to obtain additional funding through a Clean Michigan Initiative Nonpoint Source Funding challenge grant. The stormwater management program for the site will achieve the following goals and objectives:
