Oxley Creek Watershed Improvements
2015
ABOUT
Grant award
$100,000
Total project
$593,000
Description
This proposed project will expand on an SRF Sponsored Project that is addressing high priority items from the Oxley Creek Watershed Management plan. Granger participated in a multi‐year watershed assessment and management planning process. The advisory committee had members from city council, city boards, and a variety of stakeholders. Multiple meetings, events, and sessions for stakeholder input were held to shape the management plan recommendations for the future of this fast growing community. Granger took action on the watershed management plan recommendations. This included a new comprehensive land use plan with green infrastructure and sustainable growth as a priority. Policies and ordinances to foster sustainable water management in new development were added. Granger is very excited to now be implementing measures that will create tangible community benefits.
This implementation project includes stabilizing and enhancing the critical areas of Oxley’s stream corridor as it flows through the community of Granger. The stream corridor stabilization work will include sloping back vertical banks, hard armoring the toe of the slopes, riffle pool construction, and establishing deep rooted native vegetation for post construction protection. Native vegetation will also be utilized for stream buffers. A bioswale will be installed in an existing, eroding drainage swale that is flowing into Oxley Creek. This carries stormwater runoff from Granger’s neighborhoods directly to the stream. The bioswale will infiltrate the water quality volume (WQv) and safely convey larger flows into Oxley Creek. A bioretention cell will be installed in a neighborhood (that drains to Oxley Creek) on private property to manage stormwater from ten backyards and rooftop runoff. Most of practices will be installed on public property‐ either city of Granger or Woodward‐Granger Community School District. However, a four acre stormwater wetland to intercept water from a residential subdivision, commercial development area, and agricultural land is planned on private property owned by Sturgeon Enterprises. The landowners, Bob and Jane Sturgeon, are excited about the project and are contributing the land for the stormwater wetland to be built.
The existing wetland is of low quality, with short circuiting occurring at the site. The proposed wetland improvements will include the construction of several low berms to prevent short circuiting, and the construction of a forebay for the stormwater runoff from the adjacent commercial/industrial areas. The proposed bioretention cell will capture and treat the water quality volume of stormwater runoff from a residential neighborhood. The proposed projects will reduce pollutant and sediment loading downstream, increase water quality, enhance habitat, and increase the function of the existing wetland.
Conservation Practices
