Stream Restoration & Daylighting Phase 1 - 2001 STREAM RESTORATION AND DAYLIGHTING: Opportunities in the Pittsburgh Region Presented by: Richard Pinkham Water Management Consultant, Arvada, Colorado Research Associate, 3 Rivers - 2nd Nature STUDIO for Creative Inquiry Carnegie Mellon University 3R2N Aquatic Invertebrate Biological Assessments, Phases 1 & 2 - 2001 For more information on the 3 Rivers – 2nd Nature Project, see http://3r2n.cfa.cmu.edu If you believe that ecologically healthy rivers are 2nd Nature and would like to participate in a river dialogue about water quality, recreational use and biodiversity in the 3 Rivers Region, contact: Tim Collins, Research Fellow Director 3 Rivers - 2nd Nature Project STUDIO for Creative Inquiry 412-268-3673 fax 268-2829 [email protected] Copyright © 2002 – Studio for Creative Inquiry, Carnegie Mellon All rights reserved Published by the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, Rm 111, College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh PA 15213 412-268-3454 fax 268-2829 http://www.cmu.edu/studio First Edition, First Printing i CCoo--AAuutthhoorrss Rene Serrano, GIS (Geographical Information System) Evans Kwanza, GIS (Geographical Information System) Priya Krishna, GIS (Geographical Information System) PPaarrttnneerrss ii nn tthhii ss PPrroojj eecctt 3 Rivers Wet Weather Incorporated (3RWW) Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) 3 RRii vveerrss -- 2nndd NNaattuurree AAddvvii ssoorrss Reviewing this Project John ArwayChief Environmental Services, PA Fish and Boat Commission Wilder Bancroft Environmental Quality Manager, Allegheny County Health Dept. Bob Bingham Professor Art, Co-Director, STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, CMU Don Berman Environmental Consultant, Jacqui Bonomo V.P. Conservation Programs, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy James Davidson Laboratory Manager, Allegheny County Health Dept. David Dzombak Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon Mike Koryak Limnologist, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers Mary Kostalos Professor Biology, Chatham College Michael Lambert Director Three Rivers Rowing Edward Muller Professor of History, University of Pittsburgh Jan Oliver Wet Weather Program Director, ALCOSAN Beth O’Toole Director, Pittsburgh Voyager Tom Proch Biologist, PA Department of Environmental Protection John Schombert Director 3 Rivers Wet Weather Lisa Schroeder Director, River Life Task Force Dan Sentz Environmental Planner, Pittsburgh Department of City Planning Joel Tarr Caliguiri Professor of History and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon Steve Tonsor Professor of Biological Science, University of Pittsburgh Davitt Woodwell V.P. Pennsylvania Environmental Council Jeanne Vanbriesen Asst. Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon 3R2N Stream Restoration and Daylighting Report, Phase 1 - 2001 AAUUTTHHOORR'' SS PPAAGGEE Richard Pinkham is an independent consultant and an Adjunct Research Scholar with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a nonprofit natural resources policy center. He advises clients and prepares research studies in the fields of urban and agricultural water efficiency, water system planning, stormwater management, stream restoration, instream flow protection, decentralized wastewater management, and water reuse. His recent reports for the U.S. EPA and various foundations include Water 2010: Four Scenarios for 21st Century Water Systems; Re-Evaluating Stormwater: The Nine Mile Run Model for Restorative Redevelopment; and Daylighting: New Life for Buried Streams. AAcckknnoowwll eeddggmmeennttss The author and the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry wish to thank ALCOSAN and its engineering consultant, Camp Dresser & McKee (CDM), for their substantial assistance in identifying potential daylighting sites—locations of stream inflows to municipal combined sewers—and for furnishing site/watershed maps and other information. Karen Brean and Susanna Bjorkman of Karen Brean Associates developed and facilitated public outreach events focused on two potential daylighting sites. The work of the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry’s GIS Technicians, Rene Serrano and Evans Kwanza, is also gratefully acknowledged. 2 3R2N Stream Restoration and Daylighting Report, Phase 1 - 2001 TT AA BB LL EE OO FF CC OO NN TT EE NN TT SS I. Executive Summary 5 II. Introduction A. Rationale and context 12 B. Relation to other 3 Rivers – 2nd Nature programs 14 C. Organization of this report 14 III. Methods Summary 15 A. Year 2001 activities – program initiation 15 1. Task 1 – Characterize watershed and stream conditions 15 2. Task 2 – Identify potential daylighting sites 18 3. Task 3 – Select and study example daylighting sites 19 4. Task 4 – Engage the community 20 5. Task 5 – Develop a concept study and resource analysis 21 IV. Watershed and Stream Conditions 22 A. Study area watershed delineations 22 B. Physical status of study area streams 24 C. Watershed land use 29 D. Stream studies 32 1. Water quality – physical/chemical assessments 32 2. Bacteriological assessments 33 3. Biological assessments 34 4. Overall assessments 37 E. Summary and implications 40 1. Highest integrity streams/watersheds 41 2. Moderate integrity streams/watersheds 42 3. Low integrity streams/watersheds 43 4. Extremely altered streams/watersheds 43 5. Implications 43 V. Why Are So Many Streams Buried? 45 VI. The Agenda for Living Streams 47 VII. The Range of Daylighting Possibilities 51 VIII. Costs and Benefits of Daylighting 52 IX. Daylighting Challenges 55 A. Social challenges 55 B. Institutional challenges 55 C. Technical challenges 56 3 3R2N Stream Restoration and Daylighting Report, Phase 1 - 2001 X. Local Daylighting Precedents 59 A. Nine Mile Run 59 B. Jack’s Run 60 XI. Identification and Selection of Potential Daylighting Sites 62 A. Site Identification 62 B. Site Selection 63 XII. Two Daylighting Study Sites 66 A. Four Mile Run/Junction Hollow 66 1. The site and its daylighting opportunities 66 2. Relation to other plans and proposals 68 3. Public comments 70 B. Sheraden Park 74 1. The site and its daylighting opportunities 74 2. Relation to other plans and proposals 76 3. Public comments 78 XIII. Tools and Resources for Stream Restoration and Daylighting 82 A. The daylighting project process 82 B. Published information 83 C. Resource organizations 84 D. Funding sources 85 XIV. Bibliography 88 XV. Appendices 90 A. Tables B. Schenley Park C. Sheraden Park D. Figures 4 3R2N Stream Restoration and Daylighting Report, Phase 1 - 2001 EE XX EE CC UU TT II VV EE SS UU MM MM AA RR YY SSccooppee aanndd GGooaall ss The 3 Rivers – 2nd Nature stream restoration and daylighting program addresses stream restoration within cities. We maintain that living streams represent a core value relevant to a successful new economy city. We use the phrase “living streams” to emphasize that our local streams are ecosystems, not merely urban infrastructure. Living streams provide for a wide range of essential urban needs: water quality improvement, runoff management, recreational and educational opportunities, beautiful landscapes, and wildlife habitat. They support property values and generate other economic benefits. Our efforts in this program include analysis by experts in infrastructure, water policy, stream biology, landscape architecture, art, urban planning, geographic information systems, and other disciplines, integrated with public dialogues—all addressing current stream conditions, opportunities to protect and restore streams, and the broad benefits that can be generated through stream restoration. A particular 3 Rivers – 2nd Nature focus is stream “daylighting.” Daylighting is the act of removing streams from underground pipes and culverts, restoring some of the form and function of historic streams. Daylighting is the most profound form of stream restoration, recreating a surface waterway where “nothing” exists now. We aim to identify daylighting opportunities in Allegheny County and encourage development of daylighting demonstration sites. Our program takes a strategic, conceptual approach. Our interest is in framing issues, communicating opportunities, and building constituencies. The effort is structured to be iterative and replicable, both within sub-areas of the county and as a model that can be applied beyond. Our goals are: Short Term: Develop efficient and effective expert and public processes to identify high-potential daylighting sites and encourage initiation of appropriate projects. Long Term: Change expert and public consciousness about the benefits of open waterways and functioning urban aquatic ecosystems, and effect the protection and restoration of those ecosystems in order to realize their ecological, economic, infrastructure, social and other values. Daylighting can provide multiple benefits—tangible and intangible—for every dollar expended. These include improvements to the functional values of waterways and urban stormwater systems through increased hydraulic capacity for flood control, lowering of water velocities to reduce downstream erosion, removal of water from combined sewers, improvements to water quality, and more. Daylighting can improve aquatic habitat and provide “new” riparian corridors for wildlife. It can revitalize neighborhoods, increase property values, and benefit nearby businesses. It can be more cost effective than the expense of repairing a failing culverts. Daylighting projects help educate children and adults alike about the workings and values of stream corridors and wetlands. In doing so, they foster stewardship