Keeping It On the Land

December 2008 Issue

Articles in this Dec. 2008 issue:

Index
GLC's NPS Program
Featured Project (PA)
Featured Project (NY)
Around the Basin
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Featured Project: Exchange Street Culvert Erosion Control Project

Grantee: Seneca Trail Resource Conservation and Development
State: NY
Basin Program Funds: $ 30,832
Project Duration: 18 months
Project Type: Demonstration

The Wyoming County Highway Department and neighboring property owners have expressed concerns about conditions on a tributary to Crow Creek, as it exits a culvert under Exchange Street approximately ½ mile south of the Village of Attica in Wyoming County, New York. The high velocity of the water that exited the culvert has caused severe erosion within a 100 feet, the loss of over 190 tons of soil from adjacent cropland, flooding problems and reduced fish habitat in the small, unnamed tributary to Crow Creek.

Streambank slope before construction

The primary goal of this project was the stabilization of the eroded stream channel to eliminate the 190 tons of sediment from reaching Crow Creek and ultimately, Tonawanda Creek. In order to do this, the RC&D Council worked with the Wyoming County SWCD and the Wyoming County Highway Department to install a stone-lined plunge pool and 80 feet of stream bank stabilization techniques, including grading and shaping, and re-vegetation. The plunge pool was designed to protect the side slopes from the turbulence caused by the high velocities and was constructed to allow fish passage to the upper reaches of the tributary, thus reducing the amounts of soil loss and improving potential fish habitat.

Culvert before and after construction. Photos courtesy of Seneca Trail Resource Conservation and Development

In addition to the plunge pool, three rock veins were installed in the outlet channel as an additional method of grade and erosion control. Due to adverse weather conditions, final grading and additional rock work was postponed to the spring of 2008. Construction on the site was completed in May 2008. The entire site was then hydoseeded with a conservation seed mix to quickly reestablish a solid vegetative cover.

Streambank slope after construction

A demonstration of the Exchange Street project was conducted as part of an erosion and sediment control workshop held in western New York in 2008. In August 2008, a tour of this and other erosion control and stabilization projects took place for municipal officials, highway personnel, conservation agency personnel, Water Quality Task Force and Seneca Trail RC&D Council members. The tour participants were shown some of the newest ideas in erosion control practices and will be able to transfer those ideas to others in the surrounding five counties.

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