Stream Restoration

Gillespie Golf Course Prior to RestorationYou have probably seen degraded streams. The banks of the stream are steep, and often times, eroding. Excessive sediment smothers aquatic habitats. The degradation may have been caused by stormwater runoff, increased sediment load caused by the removal of trees or other development activities, or by changes in the amount of water the stream transports due to increased development and built-upon area.

Typically, only a few species of fish and aquatic life can live in these impacted streams. Degraded streams can lead to water quality declines over entire watersheds and are unhealthy for recreation and public contact.

To restore a stream, a team of scientists, engineers, and surveyors analyze the watershed where the stream is located and survey the current condition of the stream. Then, based on the results of the analysis, a design is developed to help Restored Stream at Gillespie Golf Course restore the stream to a more “natural” form. This means that the stream is designed to neither erode the stream channel and banks nor accumulate sediment in the channel over time. To design a stream, several types of structures can be used.

Once the design is completed, a new stream channel is constructed, a new floodplain is developed, and new vegetation is planted along the stream banks. Then, vegetation is established and the stream is stabilized. Finally, the stream restoration produces a stream that is in balance with the local environment, improves local water quality, offers an attractive space for recreation, and provides a healthy environment for aquatic life. View map of site locations (pdf).

Two agencies are responsible for restoring streams in Greensboro: the NC Ecosystem Enhancement Program and the NC Department of Transportation. Details about their specific projects are listed below.

North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program

The North Carolina Ecosystem Enhancement Program (EEP) has restored more than 16,000 linear feet of streams in five Greensboro City parks. Projects in Benbow Park, Brown Bark Park, Gillespie Golf Course, Price Park, and Hillsdale Park have used natural stream restoration methods to stabilize stream channels, improve water quality, and increase habitat for fish and other aquatic life. 

North Carolina Department of Transportation

The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) constructs many miles of highways and roads each year. Although the NCDOT is dedicated to preserving North Carolina's natural resources, impacts to streams and other valuable natural areas are sometimes unavoidable. When a project affects a stream, NC General Statutes require that the NCDOT compensate for these impacts through mitigation. The goal of mitigation is to design adjustments to the stream reach that will increase long-term stability and create a more functional riparian ecological community. 

NCDOT and the City of Greensboro have restored several impacted segments in five Greensboro City parks. The projects, in Spring Valley, Starmount Forest Country Club, Sussman Park, Starmount Park and Lindley Park, have converted unstable, altered or degraded stream corridors back to their natural or stable condition by restoring the geomorphic dimension, pattern, and profile as well as biological and chemical integrity.