Download Erosion-mitigation plan provides solid footing for four

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A Wearing
Problem
Erosion-mitigation plan
provides solid footing for
four-legged park patrons
BY HEATHER PATTI AND TOM MORTENSEN
G
ranville Park in Milwaukee,
Wis., is somewhat of a secret
for the dogs and their owners
of
who are drawn to the park because
to
ss
acce
its
as
well
its rustic setting, as
r.
the Menomonee Rive
Owned and operated by the
ent,
Milwaukee County Parks Departm
nty
cou
the
in
first
the dog park was the
run
and
cise
exer
where dogs could
off-leash. Today, it’s the largest park
of its kind in the region. Although
incredibly popular among regular
users, there are many residents who
are not aware the park exists because
of its remote proximity to—and
ga
access from—a frontage road alon
park
cre
26-a
The
.
highway interchange
n
higa
Mic
e
Lak
of
is located upstream
r.
Rive
nee
omo
along the Upper Men
34
JANUARY 2013 PRB
Photos Courtesy of R.A. Smith National
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Use of the park is limited during
certain times of the year, however,
because the current river-access area
is in a large floodplain. In addition,
many years of heavy and unrestricted
trail use have caused severe soil
compaction and erosion along the
riverbank. This has compromised the
stability of the river’s streambank,
which has resulted in large amounts
of sediment pouring into the river.
Much of the area along the riparian
terrace has been completely depleted
of topsoil, uncovering the clay subsoil,
which gets extremely muddy following
rain events. The roots of the trees
are exposed, and any understory
vegetation is almost non-existent.
While dogs are busy roaming and
enjoying the park, the county, the River
Revitalization Foundation (RRF), and
a local “friends” group—Residents for
Off-Leash Milwaukee Parks (ROMP)—
are working together behind the
scenes to:
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• Improve water quality on the river
• Develop solutions to the park’s
severe erosion issues
• Educate park users on the value of
riparian buffers
• Improve the dogs’ experience.
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35
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A Wearing Problem
36
JANUARY 2013 PRB
Plan To Evade Erosion
The RRF, Milwaukee’s urban land trust, is a local
conservation non-profit organization centered on preserving
and enhancing the local river parkways for public access,
recreation, and education. RRF received funding in early
2012 from the Fund for Lake Michigan (a funding resource
for projects impacting Lake Michigan’s water quality) to
conduct initial planning, feasibility, and outreach for 900 feet
of streambank stabilization and riparian habitat restoration
at the Granville site. It is the goal of RRF, the county parks
department, and ROMP to improve the streambank and
water-quality issues, while still providing a quality destination
for dogs and their owners to enjoy the rugged nature of the
park.
Through this grant funding, the key players are working
with R.A. Smith National to create a site-restoration plan,
which will allow portions of the site to “rest” while focusing
users’ attention on other newly improved areas.
“The planning phase of this project has helped build a
foundation for sustainable implementation,” says Theresa
Morgan, conservation specialist with RRF. “Over the course
of the last year, we have been able to gather critical feedback
and buy-in from stakeholders regarding restoration at this
park. Incorporating this feedback into the site plans and
ultimately into construction will increase the sustainability
and support of future restoration work. RRF will continue
to work … to move forward with Phase 2 of the site-plan
implementation. We are in the process of submitting
proposals to several grant programs, including the Fund
for Lake Michigan and the Wisconsin Coastal Management
Program that focus on funding projects that will improve
water quality in the Lake Michigan basin.”
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A Wearing Problem
Additions For Overall Enjoyment
Each area of the park was analyzed and discussed during several design-team
and public-stakeholder meetings. The plan depicts a simplified, connected trail
network that leads users to a controlled access point along the river, essentially a
“dog beach.”
The dogs will only be able to access the river in this location while other areas
are fenced off and allowed to re-vegetate. Dog-friendly, rubberized erosion-control
matting is proposed in this area to provide soil stabilization. Large, outcropping
boulders will be added for people to sit on while their dogs are enjoying the river.
Native-shrub and tree plantings will be integrated throughout the protected area
where feasible to help restore the native riparian habitat.
At the park entrance, a catchment area/gated vestibule will be created to
make it easier for users to safely walk their dogs from the parking lot to the dog
park. The catchment area will lead users to an open common space that will
contain a kiosk with trail maps, volunteer information, and park rules. The open
space will also serve as an exercise area for smaller dogs.
The park’s trail system currently consists of loop trails with portions that are
quite steep, and have a straight alignment uphill and downhill. As a result, the trails
have become eroded from surface-water runoff and foot traffic. The project team
has studied the site’s topography and is proposing a redesigned trail network to
run parallel with the site contours, with proposed swales and culverts to prevent
future erosion.
Kevin Frank, president of ROMP, is pleased with the site-restoration plan and
design elements. “We are excited that we were able to come up with a design
that accommodates improvements for the users as well as the environment,” says
Frank. “Being able to bring an older park up-to-date with current best practices
and general park improvements was important to ROMP.”
The next project steps are to secure funding for design development,
engineering, and implementation of the park improvements. The improvements
will likely be phased in, starting at the river and working upslope to the rest of the
park. The project team looks forward to completing a site-restoration plan that
addresses water quality and streambank erosion issues, and improves this unique
experience for the dogs and dog owners who visit Granville Park PRB
READER SERVICE #260
Heather Patti is a professional wetland scientist at R.A. Smith National. Reach her at
[email protected].
Tom Mortensen is registered landscape architect at R.A. Smith. Reach him at
[email protected].
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JANUARY 2013 PRB
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