Initial Green Solutions

Euclid natural stream courses and eco-greenways

Restoring the PulseIntegrated Planning

Roy LarickJune 10, 2015

of Nature in Euclid

© 2015Bluestone Heightsbluestoneheights.org

• Reviving the natural regulation of stormwater at low cost and high community benefit.

• Reconnecting fragmented natural habitat areas as a means to build local biodiversity.

Stormwater Integrated Planning: two goals

Under EPA decree, Euclid must control its stormwater discharge into Lake Erie.

In compliance, we need to shift thinking. Stormwater can be seen as a resource.

We then build a Stormwater Integrated Plan. EPA has guidelines. Other cities have examples.

Euclid has many ghost stream features. These can be enhanced for bio-infiltration and habitat diversity. Eco-greenways connect the features.

With eco-greenways, storm flows can be a resource upon which to build a better Euclid.

Eco-Greenways are the major feature of Euclid’s Integrated Plan.

With Integrated Planning, stormwater becomes a resource for community good. We work with nature to restore the pulse.

Euclid has five terrain types (below): bluff, plain, terrace, escarpment face and ‘hills’.

Three types support special habitat areas (above).

As they add ecological diversity to our city, the habitat areas are natural capital assets. They are degraded, but their eco-functions can be restored.

Special Habitats

Eco-Greenways

acres % c’ment cap MG $ M11.7 10.6 0.099 1.14

acres % c’ment cap MG $ M9.8 13.6 0.155 0.41

acres % c’ment cap MG $ M4.8 30 0.107 0.35

acres % c’ment cap MG $ M9.3 25 0.075 0.89

acres % c’ment cap MG $ M33.5 55 0.528 2.34

CSO 22

CSO 11

CSO 08

CSO 06 7+12

In five Priority CSO catchments, Strand identified areas in which new storm sewers could direct runoff to small bio-infiltration basins. These are ‘green sub-catchments’.

Green sub-catchments can infiltrate significant storm flows thereby reducing the need for ‘gray’ infra-structure. Green sub-catchments are cost effective.

Priority CSO ccatchments

Euclid Public Library

% c’ment = greened portion of the total catchment

cap MG = million gal captured/year

$ M = cost in millions of dollars

© 2015Bluestone Heightsbluestoneheights.org

Sewers to GreenwaysN

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Ghost stream features

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of Nature in Euclid

Restoring the Pulse

In making streams into sewers, we diminished the land’s inherent ability to hold back storm flows.

We thus lost the natural pulse that regulates stormwater.

With an Integrated Plan for stormwater, we can restore the natural pulse and recover lost natural capital.

Capped with hard Euclid bluestone, the Portage Escarpment is Euclid’s major terrain feature. Advancing glaciers smoothed the hill but did not diminish it. In retreat, the last glacier left a ribbon of fine debris at the crest—the Euclid Moraine. Chardon Rd follows the moraine.

From the moraine, stormwater flows north to Lake Erie and south to Euclid Creek’s east branch.

The north-flowing headwaters join up to form four escarpment runs: Lilly, Babbitt, Burk & Salt.

Smaller streams drain limited areas of the lake plain: Gawne, Frissell and ‘5’.

In taking over the natural flows, storm sewer catchments were lodged between the major north-south streets.

From 1890 to 1960, Euclid built storm sewers to take excess rainfall to Lake Erie (red lines).

Some stream courses were culvertedand buried (light lines).

Most courses were just buried, their flows taken into the storm system.

Only a few short open segments remain.

Watersheds

Sewersheds

Eco-Greenways help consolidate lost ecological function in diminished watersheds.

Greenways build upon ghost stream features, on current or emergent green space. Greenways link ghost features with each other and with new bio-infiltration points.

In connecting bio-infiltration points, old & new, greenways can rebuild natural capital.

Natural Capital parcels

Defining Greenways

Greenway Types

Priority CSO catchments (red)

Escarpment woodlands (bright green)

Green space, public/private (dull green)

Ghost stream features

CSO (white track)

Plain (green tracks)

Terrace (red tracks)

Escarpment (black track)

Eco-greenways are based upon ‘natural capital parcels’, properties with current or potential bio-infiltration and linking functions.

There are three basic natural capital parcel types:

Identify under-appreciated natural capital resources. With them, we can manage stormwater and grow natural capital.

The woodland band is the most ecologically significant landscape in Euclid. We must just maintain its integrity.

Hundreds of acres of public green space have excellent potential. Private holdings can host bio-infiltration without public access.

Greenways are defined upon ghost stream features on current or emergent green space. Greenways link ghost features with each other and with nearby new bio-infiltration installations.

These are the particular places at which bio-infiltration can be quickly improved.

Ghost features are identified on three criteria:

--inward draining basin

--location upon a buried stream course

--within or near a natural capital parcel

Preliminary fieldwork has identified nearly 40 ghost stream features. Dedicated search will bring many more.

A Priority CSO greenway tracks among large storm sewer catchments. A CSO greenway can enhance community buy-in.

Many lake plain ghost stream features are landlocked within residential neighborhoods. Still, these are ripe for bio-infiltration enhancement by individual owners or neighborhood associations.

Terrace ghost features can be enhanced for bio-infiltration without compromise to commerce. If replanted with native species, Terrace Greenways could achieve a high degree of ecological function.

The Escarpment Greenway tracks across the city. As the streams here are generally open, there a few ghost features. This greenway takes in fully functional stream features.

Streams to Sewers

Lying mostly within city confines, the escarpment run watersheds formed a convenient base for the Euclid storm sewer system.

Euclid’s natural watersheds are among Lake Erie’s smallest. The streams drain the face of the Portage Escarpment across the lake plain to the lake. They are Euclid’s ‘escarpment runs.’

Water feature on the Euclid Greens golf course. Several water features here descend from buried streams

The Stevenson’s lot, now graded as a bioswale, can be combined with the recently demolished duplex at 23750 LSB and the St. Robert complex.

Retention basin on the old Reliance Electric property, just north of Euclid Ave.

Babbitt Run, lake plain

Lilly Creek, St Clair Terrace

Creek Five, lake plain