Take a peek at the plan for Reedy Creek restoration

Work is expected to start this summer and last about eight months.

February 17, 2016; 8:36 AM • by Richard Hayes

The City of Richmond is hosting a meeting to present plans for the restoration of a portion of Reedy Creek. Come and get the details, look at the maps and inform yourself. Meeting is at 7:00 pm on Tuesday, Feb 23rd at the Stone House in Forest Hill Park. At the end of the project Reedy Creek should be healthier and will continue to be a wonderful resources to our neighborhoods and all of Richmond.

The Facebook event is here, and this a the Reedy Creek Stream FAQ PDF which I’ve copied below.

WHY THIS STREAM?
Reedy Creek flows through Forest Hill Park and is directly upstream of Belle Isle – two of Richmond’s most popular outdoor recreation areas. This section of the creek shows signs of significant impact and instream erosion and is entirely on city property, which makes it a strong candidate. As part of its Watershed Management Program, DPU has also identified several other stream restoration projects throughout the city.

When will construction start, and how long will the project take?
We are planning to start in summer 2016, and we expect to finish in approximately eight months.

When will construction take place?
Construction activity is expected to take place between 7:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

What will this cost?
The budget is approximately $1.27 million dollars. DPU was awarded a 50 percent matching grant by DEQ, and we will pay the remainder.

What are you doing about all the flooding?
We are returning the stream to a more natural state, which will allow it to accept larger volumes of water, slowing the water down and allowing it to soak into the creek beds. We will accomplish this by creating/cutting in/terracing in a flood-prone area and removing debris jams.

Won’t a lot of trees need to come down to implement these changes?
Yes. However, the forest currently lacks diversity and will be restored with a rich and diverse variety of tree species to help create healthy and thriving habitats. Any tree removal will be part of a larger effort toward better forest management as well as stream bank stabilization and creek management. This project is a long-term holistic approach, taking into account more than just water flow.

What are you doing about all the trash coming through the stream?
One option that has been proposed is an upstream permanent trash catch system. These systems have proven to be successful and will intercept a majority of floating trash for collection and disposal. Trash pollution is a city-wide problem and several larger public education and outreach
campaigns are being developed to address it.

Where will wildlife go during construction?
The project site is surrounded by close to 60 acres of contiguous forest. The work will be completed in small sections to cause minimal disturbance, and buffers will remain so wildlife will have travel lanes during construction. Temporarily displaced wildlife will return to a healthier and more diverse habitat after the project is complete. There will be no net loss of habitat.

Will the restored area require require maintenance? What is the cost of the maintenance?
Invasive species control is the top maintenance item and can be addressed with the help of Groundwork RVA and City of Richmond Parks and Recreation Department. These projects are typically monitored for five to 10 years and are then intended to require no maintenance in the long term.

Can I help in some way?
There will be an opportunity to help with planting. There is also a need for communication among nearby residents to explore projects on individual homeowner properties, such as installing rain barrels, rain gardens, etc. Additionally, there are ongoing clean-up projects open to volunteers at several parks throughout Richmond. We recommend contacting several volunteer organizations: James River Association (jamesriverassociation.org), Alliance for the Chesapeake
Bay (allianceforthebay.org), Enrichmond Foundation (enrichmond.org) and HandsOn Greater
Richmond (handsonrva.org) for volunteer opportunities.