Givens Estates completes its innovative stormwater project
Since 2008, RDE has provided consulting, planning, and design services to Givens Estates, 200-acre United Methodist Retirement Community in Asheville. We first led a campus-wide masterplanning effort that includes a prioritized schedule of projects, capital improvements, and housekeeping measures to reduce stormwater flooding, improve the quality of the three mountain streams flowing through the campus, and strengthen the institutional efforts toward ecological restoration throughout the campus.
In 2016, Givens and local non-profit RiverLink were awarded an Innovative Stormwater Management grant from the NC Clean Water Management Trust Fund. RDE collaborated with RiverLink to submit the grant, providing the technical data and supporting information. We recently completed construction of the project; the press release by RiverLink was published by Mountain Xpress and is included below.
In-stream structures, built by hand with logs and stones, slow high velocity flow and prevent pollutant sediment from flowing downstream to Dingle Creek and the French Broad River.
Press release from RiverLink:
Construction is now complete on the Givens Estates Innovative Stormwater Project. Funded by a $166,975 grant from the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund, in conjunction with $359,468 in matching funds from Givens Estates and RiverLink, the project constructed retrofits to six stormwater control measures (SCMs) on the Givens Estates campus, a Methodist retirement community in South Asheville.
The SCMs will capture runoff from Givens Estates, preventing sediment from entering Dingle Creek, a major tributary to the French Broad River. Sediment—the number one pollutant in the French Broad River—is a priority for RiverLink due to its ability to carry pollutants throughout the watershed and harm aquatic organisms such as fish and the threatened hellbender salamander.
The innovative aspect of the project is the research being conducted by RiverLink and Robinson Design Engineers to determine how effective the SCMs are at capturing sediment. The majority of stormwater research in North Carolina has occurred in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions. The results of this study will help set the design standards for stormwater control measures in the steep slopes of Western North Carolina. Preliminary data is promising, with 4.5 tons of sediment captured by the SCMs in the first post-construction rain event.
The project was a collaborative effort with Robinson Design Engineers providing design and research services, NC State University Minerals Lab offering in-kind donation of sediment sample analysis, and Miller Brothers Inc providing construction services. In addition, 633 hours of community service was provided by RiverLink volunteers and 710 native plants were installed in the SCMs.
RiverLink’s Watershed Resources Program works to improve water quality and quantity within the French Broad River watershed in Western North Carolina. The program utilizes a multi-faceted approach including grant-funded projects that mitigate stormwater runoff, restore degraded aquatic and riparian habitats, and create watershed plans, along with education initiatives that raise awareness and empower citizens to improve regional water quality.
Since 1987 RiverLink has worked with local citizens, community leaders and businesses to address the environmental and economic health of the French Broad River Basin. The organization is a key player in revitalizing the riverfront district, providing recreational and educational amenities for citizens and visitors, and promoting conservation and environmental education initiatives.
For more information on the Givens Estates Project contact:
Renee Fortner, Watershed Resources Manager renee@riverlink.org (828) 252-8474 X 14.
For general information about RiverLink, including upcoming events, projects, and ways to give visit www.riverlink.org.