Evaluating Creek Daylighting As a Means of Urban Conservation
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Planning for Wildlife: Evaluating Creek Daylighting as a means of Urban Conservation by Scott W. Jones Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Rural Planning Da1 housie University Halifax, Nova Scotia April2001 O Copyright by Scott W. Jones, 2001 National Library Bibliothc3que nationale 1+1 of C-da du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington ORawaON KlAON4 OttawaON KlAON4 Canada Canada The author has graated a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seU reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats: la forme de microfiche/fdm, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni Ia thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. To my Mother and Father ... LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND TABLES ..............................................................vtii ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER 1 ...................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCI-ION ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 METHODOLOGY.................................................................................................. 3 1.3 FROMWATERSHED TO SEWERSHED..................................................................... 6 1.4 URBANSTREAM RESTORATION ........................................................................... 7 1.5 OVERVIEWOF THE STREAMRESTORATION PROCESS ........................................... 8 1.6 OPTIONSFOR DAYLIGHTINGCREEKS ............................................................... 10 1.7 SUMMARY.......................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................... 13 2.1 INTRODU~ON.................................................................................................. 13 2.2 MOTIVATIONSFOR DAYLIGHTI NG CREEKS..................................................... 13 2.2.1 Storm water management ..................................................................... 14 2.2.2 Aesthetic improvements............................................................................ 15 2.2.3 Connection between people and nature .................................................... 16 2.2.4 Education .................................................................................................. 16 2.2.5 Mitigation .................................................................................................. 17 2.2.6 Wildlife habitat ......................................................................................... 1 7 2.3 CHALLENGESFOR DAYLIGHTING PROJECTS .......................................................18 2.3.1 Pollution ................................................................................................... 18 2.3.2 Stream dynamics ....................................................................................... 19 2.3.3 Safety ......................................................................................................... 19 2.3.4 Loss of other amenities............................................................................ 20 2.3.5 Costs ....................................................................................................... 20 2.3.6 Gentrification ............................................................................................ 20 2.3.7 Community accepance ............................................................................. 21 2.3.8 Habitat ....................................................................................................... 22 2.4 SUMMARY.......................................................................................................... 22 CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 THEVALUE OF CREEKDAYLIGHTING ................................................................ 23 3.2 URBANNATURE CONSERVATION ..................................................................... 23 3.3 EVALUATINGCONSERVATION AREAS ................................................................ 25 3.4 EVALUATINGURBAN CONSERVATION AREAS .................................................... 26 3.5 ESSENTIALASPECTS OF URBANCONSERVATION AREAS ................................... 29 3.5.1 Structural diversity .................................................................................... 29 3.5.2 Bicffers ...................................................................................................... 30 . 3.5.3 Connecrivity............................................................................................. 31 3.6 LESSESSENTIAL CRITERIA ................................................................................. 31 3.6.1 Naturalness ......................................................................................... 32 3.6.2 Typicalness............................................................................................... 33 . 3.6.3 Management and Monrtoring ................................................................... 33 3.6.4 Involvement ............................................................................................... 33 3.6.5 Recorded history ..................................................................................... 34 3.7 EFFEC~IVENESSOF DAYLIGHTING PROJECTS AS URBANCONSERVATION .......... 34 3.7.1 Structural diversity .............................................................................. 3 7 3.7.2 BuHers ....................................................................................................... 38 . 3.7.3 Connectivity............................................................................................... JO 3.7.4 Naturalness ............................................................................................... 41 3.7.5 Typicalness ............................................................................................... 41 . 3.7.6 Management and Monitonng ................................................................... 41 3.7.7 Involvernent ............................................................................................... 42 3.7.8 Recorded hisiory ...................................................................................... 42 3.8 SUMMARY......................................................................................................... 42 CHAPTER 4 .................................................................................................................... 45 4.1 Discussio~OF RESULTS.......................................................................................... 45 4.2 RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................ 48 APPENDIX 1 ................................................................................................................... 54 A.l EXAMPLEPROJECTS ......................................................................................... 54 A.I.I Arcadia Creek .Kaiamazoo. Michigan .................................................. 54 A .1.2 Cow Creek .Hutchinson. Kansas ............................................................. 55 A .1.3 Darbee Brook .Roscoe. New York ........................................................ 56 A .I.4 Garrison Creek - Toronto, Ontario ......................................................... -57 A .1.5 Hastings Creek - Vancouver, British Columbia ....................................... 59 A .1.6 Jolly Giant Creek - Arcara. California ..................................................... 60 A.1.7 Phalen Creek - St. Paul, Minnesota .................................................... 61 A .1.8 Spanish Banks Creek .Vancouver, British Columbia .............................. 63 A .1.9 Strawberry Creek - Berkeley. California............................................. 64 A.I.IO Tadde Creek - Toronto, Ontario.............................................................. 65 A.I.1 I Thain Creek - Vancouver, British Columbia ......................................... 67 A .1.12 Valley Creek - Port Angeles, Washington ................................................ 68 A.2 SUMMARY.......................................................................................................... 70 LITERATURE CITED..........................................m.................~...................................... 71 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONSAND TABLES Table 1-1: Table summarizing example daylighting projects. These projects were chosen, as they are al1 North American, yet have