319 Project – Low Impact Development

Low Impact Development, or “LID” for short, uses vegetation, soils, and natural processes to manage rain water where it falls and can help reduce nonpoint source pollution to improve water quality. Non-point sources of pollutants can include sediment (the biggest threat to water quality in Beaver Lake), excess nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen, oil, grease, and heavy metals. Slowing down rain runoff before it reaches a waterway not only captures non-point source pollution but also prevents flooding, cools the water down, helps recharge groundwater supplies, and naturally filtrates the water. Using LID in our landscape can also help keep our local drinking water supplies clean and resilient.

 

In 2022, the Alliance completed three demonstration LID parking lots across the Beaver Lake watershed thanks to a generous grant through the Arkansas Department of Agriculture- Natural Resources Division. The three projects were completed at Hickory Creek Park in Lowell, Mitchusson Park in Huntsville, and at Kessler Mountain Regional Park in Fayetteville.

 

HICKORY CREEK PARK, LOWELL, AR

Location

The Alliance worked with the US Army Corps of Engineers to install Low Impact Development features in the Hickory Creek Boat Launch in Lowell, AR. Crafton Tull provided designs for the features and the project was installed in Spring 2021 by Steep Creek, LLC. Educational signage is also installed to provide public education on the benefits of treating rain water with low impact development features.

• IMPROVEMENTS AT HICKORY CREEK PARK:
  – Providing 795 cubic feet of stormwater storage under the permeable pavers.
  – Captures the first 1/4 inch of rainfall runoff from the parking lot, which then drains through a grate and underdrain to a bio-retention basin before it’s discharged into Beaver Lake.

Above: (LEFT) Permeable pavers being mechanically installed. (RIGHT) Completed permeable pavers.

Download the Fact Sheet (Hickory Creek Park)

 

MITCHUSSON PARK, HUNTSVILLE, AR

Location

The Alliance worked with the City of Huntsville to install Low Impact Development features in the Mitchusson Park parking lot, located in Huntsville, AR. Crafton Tull provided designs for the features, and the project was installed in Spring 2021 by Steep Creek, LLC. Educational signage is also installed to provide public education on the benefits of treating rain water with low impact development features.

• IMPROVEMENTS AT MITCHUSSON PARK:
  – Removed 1,340 square feet of existing impervious area and replaced with permeable pavers
  – Providing 532 cubic feet of storage under the permeable pavers
  – Captures the first 3/8 inch of rainfall runoff from the driveway

Above: (LEFT) A view of the storage under the pavers. (RIGHT) Completed permeable pavers.

Download the Fact Sheet (Mitchusson Park)

 

KESSLER MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK, FAYETTEVILLE, AR

Location

The Alliance worked with the City of Fayetteville to install Low Impact Development features in the new parking lot located at Kessler Mountain Regional Park, Fayetteville, AR. Crafton Tull provided designs for the features, and the project was installed in Spring 2021 by Crossland Construction. Educational signage is also installed to provide public education on the benefits of treating rain water with low impact development features.

• IMPROVEMENTS AT KESSLER MOUNTAIN REGIONAL PARK:
  – Providing 1330 cubic feet of stormwater storage under the permeable pavers
  – Captures the first 3/4 inch of rainfall runoff from the new parking lot. This is 3x the volume of a traditional sediment forebay required by the Fayetteville Drainage Manual.
  – Providing a 1,091 cubic foot bio-retention cell that will collect stormwater runoff from the existing parking lot and treat the first 1.25 inches of rainfall runoff off the existing parking lot.

Above: (LEFT) Completed permeable pavers. (RIGHT) A detail shot of pavers and flush curbs.

Download the Fact Sheet (Kessler Mountain Regional Park)

 

Thank you to the partners that made these projects possible: Beaver Water District, Arkansas Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Division, US EPA, Crafton Tull, Army Corps of Engineers, City of Huntsville, City of Fayetteville