Daylighting (streams)
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Daylighting is the opening up and restoration of a previously buried watercourse, one which had at some point been diverted below ground. Typically, the rationale behind returning the
riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...
environment of a stream, wash, or river to a more natural above-ground state is to reduce runoff, create habitat for species in need of it, or improve an area's
aesthetic Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy,'' , acces ...
s. In the United Kingdom, the practice is also known as deculverting. In addition to its use in
urban design Urban design is an approach to the design of buildings and the spaces between them that focuses on specific design processes and outcomes based on geographical location. In addition to designing and shaping the physical features of towns, city, ...
and
planning Planning is the process of thinking regarding the activities required to achieve a desired goal. Planning is based on foresight, the fundamental capacity for mental time travel. Some researchers regard the evolution of forethought - the cap ...
the term also refers to the public process of advancing such projects. According to the Planning and Development Department of the City of Berkeley, "A general consensus has developed that protecting and restoring natural creeks' functions is achievable over time in an urban environment while recognizing the importance of property rights."


Systems


Natural drainage systems

Natural drainage systems help manage stormwater by infiltrating and slowing the flow of
stormwater Stormwater, also written storm water, is water that originates from precipitation (storm), including heavy rain and meltwater from hail and snow. Stormwater can soak into the soil ( infiltrate) and become groundwater, be stored on depressed lan ...
, filtering and bioremediating pollutants by soils and plants, reducing
impervious surface Impervious surfaces are mainly artificial structures—such as pavements (roads, sidewalks, driveways and parking lots, as well as industrial areas such as airports, ports and logistics and distribution centres, all of which use considerable ...
s, using porous paving, increasing vegetation, and improving related pedestrian amenities. Natural features—open, vegetated swales, stormwater cascades, and small wetland ponds—mimic the functions of nature lost to urbanization. At the heart are plants, trees, and the deep, healthy soils that support them. All three combine to form a "living
infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...
" that, unlike pipes and vaults, increase in functional value over time. Some efforts to blend urban development with natural systems use innovative drainage design and landscaping instead of traditional curbs and gutters, pipes and vaults. One such demonstration project in the Pipers Creek watershed reduced imperviousness by more than 18 percent. The project built bioswales, landscape elements intended to remove silt and pollution from
surface runoff Surface runoff (also known as overland flow or terrestrial runoff) is the unconfined flow of water over the ground surface, in contrast to ''channel runoff'' (or ''stream flow''). It occurs when excess rainwater, stormwater, meltwater, or other ...
water and planted 100 evergreen trees and 1,100 shrubs. From 2001 to 2003, the project reduced the volume of stormwater leaving the street in a two-year storm event by 98%.(1)
(2)
Such a reduction can reduce storm damage to water quality and habitats for species such as the iconic salmon. Unfortunately, the engineering alternatives have a relatively expensive initial price, since they are usually replacing existing structures, albeit life-limited ones. Further, conventional systems generally do not consider full cost accounting. The natural drainage system alternatives can also provide returns on investment by improving urban environments. The street edge alternatives street breaks most of the conventions of 150 years of standard American street design. Narrow, curved streets, open drainage swales, and an abundance of diverse plants and trees welcome pedestrians as well as diverse species. Adjacent residents maintain city infrastructure in the form of street "gardens" in front of their homes, visually integrating the neighborhood along the street. The natural drainage system united the community visually, environmentally, and socially. The 110th Cascades SEA (2002–2003) are a creek-like cascade of stair-stepped natural, seasonal pools that intercept, infiltrate, slow and filter over of stormwater draining through the project.


Example projects

Viable, daylighted streams exist only where neighbourhoods are intimately connected to restoration and stewardship values in their watersheds, since the health of an urban stream can not long survive carelessness or neglect. With impervious surfaces having replaced most of the natural ground cover in urban environments, habitat for wildlife is dramatically reduced compared to historic baselines. Hydrologic changes have resulted, and impervious waterways directly carry non-point pollution through urban creeks. One effective solution is to restore streams and riparian habitat. This improves the entire urban watershed, far beyond the riparian channel itself. Wild et al 2011 described the first known online map and database of urban river daylighting projects. Wild et al 2019 published geo-spatial database about all schemes. University of Waterloo documented a very similar list featuring many of the same stream daylighting projects around the globe.


Canada


Vancouver, British Columbia

In the 1880s there were over 50 wild salmon streams in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
alone. However, as Vancouver grew, these streams were lost to urbanization. They were covered by roads, homes, and businesses. They were also lost when they were buried beneath sewers or culverts. The City of Vancouver and its residents are now making an effort to uncover these lost streams and restore them back to their natural state.


=Hastings Creek

= The Hastings Creek Stream Daylighting Project was originally proposed in 1994 as a way to manage storm water and for aesthetic purposes. The idea was to bring the stream back to its once natural formation which would improve the surrounding habitat for wildlife as well as the originally proposed purposes. This project's plan was finalized in 1997, and work began the same year. The stream had existed in
Hastings Park Hastings Park is a municipal park located in the northeast sector of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from th ...
until 1935 when the Park became focused on entertainment rather than its original purpose when it was given to the city in 1889, which was to be a retreat for those with a passion for the outdoors. As the
Pacific National Exhibition The Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) is a nonprofit organization that operates an annual 15-day summer fair, 12-day winter fair, a seasonal amusement park, and indoor arenas in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The PNE fair is held at Hastings ...
(PNE) grounds continued to expand there was a continued loss of natural woodlands, greenery and waterways. It was not until the 1980s when the surrounding community began to look at continuing to uphold its original purpose. The daylighting project made major progress in 2013 in the area located in the Creekway Park, which was originally a parking lot. The daylighted stream will one day connect the Sanctuary in Hastings Park to the
Burrard Inlet Burrard Inlet () is a shallow-sided fjord in the northwestern Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada. Formed during the last Ice Age, it separates the City of Vancouver and the rest of the lowland Burrard Peninsula to the south from the coa ...
. The progress made in Creekway Park is a major step towards this goal. This daylighting project also improved pedestrian and bikeway transit. This stream is now able to obtain the stormwater from the surrounding area, which reduces the load that is felt by the municipality's storm sewers. It is the storms in early autumn which provide the water flow for the creek, meaning that there is variable flow throughout the year. During the late summer months the moist soil is relied upon to maintain the vegetation of the area. This variation in flow does not allow for
salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
migration through the creek; however it does house
trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
as well as vegetation which aid in the filtration of the storm water entering the creek.


=Spanish Banks

= Located upstream from Spanish Banks waterfront, one of the highest profile creeks in Vancouver Metro became open to salmon in 2000. In a collaborative project between Spanish Banks Streamkeepers Association and the Department of
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; ) is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland ...
, barriers to fish passage were removed and habitat structure was added. Spanish Banks Creek was previously diverted through a culvert underneath a parking lot, but the lower reaches of this creek have been revitalized. The banks were stabilized with
riprap Riprap (in North American English), also known as rip rap, rip-rap, shot rock, rock armour (in British English) or rubble, is human-placed rock or other material used to protect shoreline structures against scour and water, wave, or ice erosion. ...
, large woody debris was added for habitat cover, and spawning gravels were added in appropriate areas. Rigorous effectiveness monitoring has not been performed, but a few dozen
coho COHO, short for Coherent Oscillator, is a technique used with radar systems based on the cavity magnetron to allow them to implement a moving target indicator display. Because the signals are only coherent when received, not transmitted, the concept ...
and chum salmon are known to spawn there annually in a sustaining population. Maintenance to the creek is provided by Spanish Banks Streamkeepers Association, a local volunteer stewardship group.


=St. George Rainway

= The
East Vancouver East Vancouver (also called East Van or the East Side) is a region within the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Geographically, East Vancouver is bordered to the north by Burrard Inlet, to the south by the Fraser River, and to the ea ...
neighborhood of Mount Pleasant has officially incorporated into its community plan a project to restore St. George Creek, a tributary to the False Creek watershed. St. George street is the site of this former stream, which now flows through the sewers and a culvert. This paved street will be converted into a shared-use path,
riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...
habitat, and urban greenspace. St. George Creek once spawned
salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
and
trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
, and hosted a diverse
riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripar ...
ecosystem. The restoration of this habitat using the rainway proposal would allow for salmon spawning, recreational and educational opportunities, and improve the community's access to nature and transportation alternatives. The proposal would pass the following community centres: Great Northern Way Campus, St. Francis Xavier School, Mt. Pleasant Elementary, Florence N. Elementary, Kivan Boys and Girls Club, Robson Park Family Centre. Detailed landscape designs have been produced, and incorporated into the community plan of Mount Pleasant neighborhood. Project leaders from the
False Creek False Creek () is a short narrow inlet in the heart of Vancouver, separating the Downtown Vancouver, Downtown and West End, Vancouver, West End list of neighbourhoods in Vancouver, neighbourhoods from the rest of the city. It is one of the four ...
watershed Society and Vancouver Society of Storytelling collaborated with Mount Pleasant Elementary students to create a street mural drawing attention to the belowground stream. To date, the mural is the only physical progress on the project.


=Tatlow Creek

= This is a future project aiming to ultimately connect the gap in the Seaside Greenway in order to link it to the Burrard Bridge. The beginning of this project has been started by th
City of Vancouver
in 2013, after its approval on July 29 of the same year. Volunteer Park is located in
Kitsilano Kitsilano ( ) is a neighbourhood in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Named after Squamish chief August Jack Khatsahlano, Kitsilano is located along the southern shore of English Bay, Vancouver, English Bay between Fairview, Vancou ...
at the corner of Point Grey Road and Macdonald Street. This is where the main daylighting project for this area is planned to occur. ''Phase one'' is currently in progress. Point Grey Road is currently closed to through motor traffic in order to turn the street into a greenway for cycling and walking. This part of the project is expected to be complete by summer 2014. ''Phase two'' of this project is looking to include the daylighting of Tatlow Creek which is located in Volunteer Park. This phase must go through the City Council and the Park Board capital planning process for the 2015-2017 Capital Plan before any plans can be finalized. Tatlow Creek had been scheduled to be daylighted in 1996, and the project to start in 1997. The project was deemed feasible and the storm water was to be diverted back into the natural creek bed and tunneled under Point Grey Road. When it was not done, the project was proposed again by a
UBC The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...
masters' student as the Tatlow Creek Revitalization Project. If this project is completed as phase 2 of the new Park Board Project it would allow for
salmon Salmon (; : salmon) are any of several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the genera ''Salmo'' and ''Oncorhynchus'' of the family (biology), family Salmonidae, native ...
and
trout Trout (: trout) is a generic common name for numerous species of carnivorous freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', ''Salmo'' and ''Salvelinus'', all of which are members of the subfamily Salmoninae in the ...
spawning.


Caledon, Ontario


= Credit River: East Credit Tributary

= Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) worked with a private landowner to daylight 500 m of coldwater stream on their Caledon family farm. The project emerged from a decision to replace a failing tile drain on the farm property with a stream. The stream was buried in an agricultural tile in the early 1980s to facilitate agricultural operations. CVC worked collaboratively with the landowners to design and construct a new stream, stream-side grassland and wetland in 2017. The project improved biodiversity and ecosystem health. Nine species of fish have been recorded in the stream, and
Bobolink The bobolink (''Dolichonyx oryzivorus'') is a small New World blackbird and the only member of the genus ''Dolichonyx''. An old name for this species is the "rice bird", from its tendency to feed on cultivated grains during winter and migration. ...
and
Eastern Meadowlark The eastern meadowlark (''Sturnella magna'') is a medium-sized icterid bird, very similar in appearance to its sister species, the western meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to northern South America, where it is also most widespr ...
(both threatened bird species) use the planted riparian grassland. Frogs and toads are also thriving in the new wetland. In addition to the newly created stream, CVC removed a perched culvert downstream that was preventing fish passage to allow downstream fish populations to reach the new stream. In January 2018, the landowners received the Ontario Heritage Trust Lieutenant Governor's Award for Conservation Excellence in recognition of the project's contribution to conservation. The project was funded by the
Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; ) is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland ...
, Peel Rural Water Quality Program and the Species at Risk Farm Incentive Program.


France


Ile de France

La Bièvre river Partial reopening sections and re-naturalisation of La Bièvre river, in the region Ile de France (from the south to Paris, where it joins La Seine) * 600 metre section in Fresnes in 2003 * 900 metres section in Verrieres-le-Buisson/Massy in 2006 * 600 metres section in L’Haÿ-les-Roses in 2016 * 600 metre section between Arcueil and Gentilly in 2021 Re-naturalisation in 2020 of a section from Bievres to Igny from a relatively straight caisson reinforced embankment to a meandering stream (excess flow diverted into a pipe).


Japan


Shibuya River

A portion of the
Shibuya River The is a river which flows through central Tokyo, Japan. The river is 2.6 km in length originating close to Shibuya Station and passing through Shibuya and Minato wards before merging with the Furu River near Hiroo and flowing into Tokyo ...
(渋谷川, Shibuya-gawa), long obscured beneath urban infrastructure, was partially daylighted as part of the major redevelopment of the Shibuya Station area. Completed in 2018, the Shibuya Stream project exposed sections of the river and integrated them into the surrounding public realm, with pedestrian promenades and landscaped banks. The project restored visibility of the river and contributed to urban greening, flood resilience, and walkability in one of Tokyo’s densest districts.


Kitazawa River

The Kitazawa River (北沢川), a historical tributary of the
Meguro River The is a river which flows through Tokyo, Japan. Its tributaries include the Kitazawa River and the Karasuyama River. The river flows into Tokyo Bay near the Tennōzu Isle Station. The river is in length and passes through Setagaya, Tokyo, Seta ...
in Setagaya Ward, was once an open watercourse running through what is now a dense residential area. As Tokyo urbanised rapidly during the 20th century, the river was largely buried into culverts to manage flood risk and create developable land. However, in recent decades, Setagaya City has worked to restore elements of the river corridor through the creation of the Kitazawa River Greenway (北沢川緑道)—a linear park and ecological trail that follows the original river's path. While much of the Kitazawa River remains underground, several surface sections have been daylighted, where water flows visibly through small landscaped channels. These sections, interspersed along the greenway, have been carefully planted with native vegetation and integrated with pedestrian paths, cherry trees, and community gathering spaces. The stream can be seen fully resurfacing in places like Seseragi Park, where aquatic life such as crayfish and turtles is now commonly observed.


South Korea

In
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
, which buried the Cheonggyecheon creek during the city's 1960s boom, an artificial waterway and adjoining parks have been built atop it. Mayor Lee Myung Bak, formerly a construction magnate with the Hyundai
chaebol A chaebol ( , ; , ) is a large industrial South Korean conglomerate run and controlled by an individual or family. A chaebol often consists of multiple diversified affiliates, controlled by a person or group. Several dozen large South Kore ...
that helped bury the river, ran for office promising to daylight it, and achieved in 2005 a greenspace in a city without very many parks or playgrounds. The new park is hugely popular, alleviating fears that opening the river would cause nearby businesses to lose customers.


Switzerland


Zürich

The City of Zürich’s stream daylighting policy has long received the attention of researchers and is considered by some to be unique in the world. It had been adopted since 1986 and ensued in daylighting nearly 21 kilometers of Zürich’s buried streams thus far. The positive impact on the quality of water and biodiversity has been significant. There are also benefits for enhanced stormwater management, and even socio-cultural benefits such as, enhanced public realm and educational ones.


United Kingdom


Porter Brook, Sheffield, Yorkshire

The Porter Brook flows from the west of
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, situated south of Leeds and east of Manchester. The city is the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire and some of its so ...
on the edge of the
Peak District The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It is subdivi ...
and flows into the River Sheaf at Sheaf Street near
Sheffield Railway Station Sheffield station (formerly Pond Street and later Sheffield Midland) is a combined railway station and tram stop in Sheffield, England; it is the busiest station in South Yorkshire, and the second busiest in Yorkshire & the Humber, after Leed ...
. The Porter Brook is one of Sheffield's five well known rivers, along with the Don,
Sheaf Sheaf may refer to: * Sheaf (agriculture), a bundle of harvested cereal stems * Sheaf (mathematics) In mathematics, a sheaf (: sheaves) is a tool for systematically tracking data (such as sets, abelian groups, rings) attached to the open s ...
, Loxley and Rivelin. The Porter has been deculverted at Matilda Street near the BBC Radio Sheffield studios. A feasibility study for the scheme was undertaken for South Yorkshire Forest Partnership by Sheffield City Council in 2013 with funding from the Environment Agency and the EU via the Interreg North Sea Region Programme. The project was completed by Sheffield City Council with funding from the Environment Agency in 2016. The Porter Brook daylighting scheme featured in a 2016 BBC Radio 4 documentary entitled ''A River of Steel'', produced by sound recordist Chris Watson, ex-member of Caberet Voltaire. It was also discussed in an article in The Guardian in 2017.


River Roch, Rochdale, Greater Manchester

The River Roch that runs through the town of
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England, and the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale. In the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census, the town had a population of 111,261, compared to 223,773 for the wid ...
has recently been uncovered, revealing the medieval bridge in place. It was covered in 1904 to accommodate a tram network that has since closed.


United States


California

* Codornices Creek and
Strawberry Creek Strawberry Creek is the principal watercourse running through the city of Berkeley, California. Two forks rise in the Berkeley Hills of the California Coast Ranges, and form a confluence at the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. T ...
, Berkeley * Islais Creek,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...


Maryland

Since the 1990s there have been several plans to daylight the Jones Falls along much of its route through downtown
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
.


Massachusetts

Part of Island End River flowing through
Everett, Massachusetts Everett is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, directly north of Boston, bordering the neighborhood of Charlestown. The population was 49,075 at the time of the 2020 United States census. Everett was the last city in the ...
was daylighted in 2021.


New York (State)

Yonkers, New York Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
, the third largest city in the state, broke ground on December 15, 2010, on a project to daylight of the
Saw Mill River The Saw Mill River is a tributary of the Hudson River in Westchester County, New York, United States. It flows from an unnamed pond north of Chappaqua, New York, Chappaqua to Getty Square in Yonkers, where it empties into the Hudson as that r ...
as it runs through its downtown, called
Getty Square Getty Square is the name for downtown Yonkers, New York, Yonkers, New York (state), New York, centered on the town square, public square. Getty Square is the civic center, central business district, and Intermodal passenger transport, transit ...
. The daylighting project is the cornerstone of a large redevelopment effort in the downtown. An additional 2 other sections of the
Saw Mill River The Saw Mill River is a tributary of the Hudson River in Westchester County, New York, United States. It flows from an unnamed pond north of Chappaqua, New York, Chappaqua to Getty Square in Yonkers, where it empties into the Hudson as that r ...
are planned to be daylighted as well. The first phase of the
Yonkers Yonkers () is the List of municipalities in New York, third-most populous city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and the most-populous City (New York), city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County. A centrally locate ...
daylighting was portrayed in the documentar
Lost Rivers
The second phase, where the river runs under th
Mill Street Courtyard
broke ground on March 19, 2014.


Salt Lake City, Utah


= City Creek

= A public-private partnership between
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
and the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian restorationist Christian denomination and the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. Founded dur ...
, exchange the ownership of a surface parking lot at 110 N State Street in Salt Lake City for development rights to an underground parking garage. In 1995, a donation by the church allowed Salt Lake City to daylight a creek channel through the newly created City Creek Park.


= Three Creeks Confluence

= Red Butte, Emigration, and Parleys Creeks flow into the Jordan River at 1300 South and 900 West in Salt Lake City, UT. The site was previously paved over with a dead-end segment of 1300 South. A dilapidated, vacant home existed to the north of 1300 South on the site. The area was in a neglected condition, impacted by noxious weeds, dumping, and encroachments from private property. Approximately $3 million was secured for the construction of the Three Creeks Confluence, a partnership between Salt Lake City and the Seven Canyons Trust. Red Butte, Emigration, and Parleys Creeks were daylighted 200 feet in a newly restored channel up to 900 West. The site includes a Jordan River Trail connection, fishing bridge, and plaza space. In 2017, an Achievement Award from the Utah Chapter of the American Planning Association was received for the innovative project design and creative community engagement process.


Seattle, Washington


=Pipers Creek

= Pipers Creek in the central to north Greenwood area is joined by Venema and Mohlendorph Creeks in Carkeek Park on Puget Sound. Pipers is one of the four largest streams in urban Seattle, together with Longfellow, Taylor, and Thornton creeks. Pipers Creek drains a watershed into Puget Sound, from a residential upper plateau that is most of the watershed, through the steep ravines of the of Carkeek Park. The headwaters begin in the north Greenwood neighborhood. As a result of project efforts, salmon were brought back to Pipers Creek, Venema, and Mohlendorph creeks in the mid-2000s after a fifty-year absence. The latter is named for the late Ted Mohlendorph, a biologist who spearheaded efforts to restore the watershed as salmon habitat. Though augmented by hatchery fish, anywhere from 200 to 600
chum salmon The chum salmon (''Oncorhynchus keta''), also known as dog salmon or keta salmon, is a species of anadromous salmonid fish from the genus ''Oncorhynchus'' (Pacific salmon) native to the coastal rivers of the North Pacific and the Beringian Arctic ...
return each November, along with a few
coho COHO, short for Coherent Oscillator, is a technique used with radar systems based on the cavity magnetron to allow them to implement a moving target indicator display. Because the signals are only coherent when received, not transmitted, the concept ...
in the fall and fewer occasional winter
steelhead Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the Fish migration#Classification, anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or Columbia River redband trout (''O. m. gairdneri'', also called redband steelhead). Steelhead are native to cold-wa ...
. Inspirationally, several hundred small resident
coastal cutthroat trout The coastal cutthroat trout (''Oncorhynchus clarkii'', sometimes referred as ''Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii''), also known as the sea-run cutthroat trout, blue-back trout or harvest trout, is one of the four speciesTrotter, Patrick; Bisson, Pete ...
live in the watershed, believed to be native fish that survived decades of urban assault. An environmental learning center and programs are part of comprehensive restoration. More than four miles (6 km) of trail are maintained by neighborhood volunteers who put in 4,000 hours of work in 2003, for example. The creek waters are pretty in their impressively restored settings, but the watershed is the surrounding neighborhoods and streets, laced with petrochemicals, pesticides, fertilizers, wandering pets, and such. Along with steeply high volume during storm runoff and resulting turbidity, water quality is the remaining big issue in restoring salmon.Johnston The north fork of Pipers Creek is the site for the 110th Cascades, a street edge alternatives street demonstration project (see
above Above may refer to: *Above (artist) Tavar Zawacki (b. 1981, California) is a Polish, Portuguese - American abstract artist and internationally recognized visual artist based in Berlin, Germany. From 1996 to 2016, he created work under the ...
). The 110th Cascades are a creek-like cascade of stair-stepped natural, seasonal pools that intercept, infiltrate, slow and filter over of stormwater draining through the project. The cascades are a part of a natural drainage systems) project; together these united the community visually, environmentally, and socially, toward integrating the neighborhood as a community.(1)
(2)


=Taylor Creek

= Taylor Creek flows from Deadhorse Canyon (west of Rainier Avenue S at 68th Avenue S and northwest of Skyway Park), through Lakeridge Park to Lake Washington. With volunteer effort and some city matching grants, restoration has been underway since 1971. Volunteers have planted thousands of indigenous trees and plants, removed tons of garbage, removed invasive plants, and had city help removing fish-blocking culverts and improving trails. A deer has been spotted and sightings of raccoons, opossum and birds are common. By about 2050, the area will be looking like a young version of what it looked like before being disrupted. Taylor is one of the four largest streams in urban Seattle.


=Fauntleroy Creek

= Fauntleroy Creek in the Fauntleroy neighborhood of West Seattle flows about a mile (1.6 km) from as far east as 38th Avenue SW in the modest 33 acre (130,000 m2) Fauntleroy Park at SW Barton Street, through a fish ladder at its outlet near the Fauntleroy ferry terminal (the creek drops a moderately steep 300 ft (91 m) in that one mile). Coho salmon and cutthroat trout returned as soon as barriers were removed, after concerted effort and pressure by citizen groups of activist neighbors (1989–1998). A further culvert blocks fish passage to Kilbourne Park and so on up to the headwaters in Fauntleroy Park. The 98 acre (400,000 m2) watershed is about two-thirds residential development, from 1900s summer colony to post-World War II urban, with the rest natural space, primarily Fauntleroy Park.


=Longfellow Creek

= Longfellow Creek is one of the four largest in urban Seattle. It flows north from Roxhill Park for several miles along the valley of the Delridge neighborhood of West Seattle, turning east to reach the Duwamish Waterway via a 3,300 ft (1000 m) pipe beneath the
Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...
plant (now
Nucor Nucor Corporation is an American company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that produces steel and related products. It is the largest steel producer in the United States and the largest recycler of scrap in North America. Nucor is the 16th- ...
). Salmon returned without intervention as soon as toxic input was ended and barriers were removed, after having been extinguished for 60 years. Construction of a fish ladder at the north end of the West Seattle Golf Course will allow spawning salmon up along the fairways. Farther upstream the city has been enlarging and building more storm-detention ponds, recreation areas, and an outdoor-education center a
Camp Long
An area of of open upland, wetland and wooded space just east of Chief Sealth High School in Westwood is the first daylight of Longfellow Creek. It has been the location of some plant and tree restoration since 1997. After more than a decade of preparation by hundreds of neighborhood volunteers, a restoration and 4.2 mile (6.7 km) legacy trail was completed in 2004. Further improvement by removal of invasive vegetation is ongoing as native species retake hold. Blue heron and
coyote The coyote (''Canis latrans''), also known as the American jackal, prairie wolf, or brush wolf, is a species of canis, canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the Wolf, gray wolf, and slightly smaller than the c ...
can be seen. The creek first emerges at the 10,000-year-old Roxhill Bog, south of the Westwood Village shopping center.


=Madrona Creek

= Citizens of Madrona neighborhoods initiated a daylighting project in 2001, encompassing from above 38th Avenue into Lake Washington. Daylighting will return the creek to a new bed and replace the sloping lawn between Lake Washington Boulevard and Lake Washington with native plantings, and with the mouth of the creek at a restored wetland cove on the lake. New culverts under 38th, the boulevard, and under a permeable pedestrian path will allow fish passage. Native plantings will restore about 1.5 acres (6,100 m2), with plantings three to four feet in height at three key view corridors. Planning continued through 2004, followed by design (2205) and construction (2006). The completion celebration is scheduled for spring, 2007. The $450,000 cost is funded by community-initiated grants and private donations. Citizen stewards of the creek and woods are represented by the Friends of Madrona Woods (1996). The
urban forest Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of peop ...
encompasses about 9 acres (36,000 m2), largely in a couple ravines. The park area was built 1891-1893, officially no longer maintained since the 1930s with the demise of streetcars and pedestrian lifestyles. Persistent efforts began (1995) with informal removal of ivy smothering trees, then invasive species like holly, laurel and blackberries, and realization that effective restoration would require comprehensive stewardship. With a Department of Neighborhoods grant, the neighborhood started a formal effort. Neighborhood groups, planning with naturalists and landscape architects, brought an effective early step rebuilding trails, promoting access and building constituency. Further priorities were protection for habitat, restoration of stream beds, rehabilitation as a natural area using native plants, and using the Madrona Woods as a setting for environmental education programs at local schools. A hired landscape architect became a team member, experimental plots were set up to test different methods for revegetating with native plants. (Plants adapt to microclimates; experimentation is required to jumpstart the otherwise very long natural processes.) Friends of Madrona Woods earned a much larger Department of Neighborhoods matching grant in 2000, funding the creation of a master action plan, and major trail restoration work. The community match for the grant was nearly 2500 hours of volunteer labor by community members and school children from St. Therese and Epiphany schools. After many decades of urban use without formal maintenance, substantial trail engineering was required. EarthCorps was contracted to do the actual construction, which included 86 steps, two landings and a bridge. In the process of clearing, volunteers found substantial erosion in the wetland hillside, leading to a grant from a Parks Department fund to stabilize it with a water cascade of natural materials. Neighbors did a little trail-building of their own with Volunteers for Outdoor Washington and an all-day trail building workshop (February 2000). Work parties continue monthly through much of the year.


=Schmitz Creek

= Schmitz Creek in the Alki neighborhood of West Seattle flows to the sound from Schmitz Park, SW 55th Avenue at SW Admiral Way. Apart from the paved entrance and a parking lot at the northwest corner, the park has remained essentially unchanged since its 53 acres (210,000 m2) were protected 1908-1912 from complete logging. Fragmentary
old growth forest An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...
remains. Daylighting and drainage rebuilding to handle seasonal and storm flow was done 2001-2003.


See also

*
Stream restoration Stream restoration or river restoration, also sometimes referred to as river reclamation, is work conducted to improve the environmental health of a river or stream, in support of biodiversity, recreation, flood management and/or landscape develop ...
*
Subterranean river A subterranean river (also known as an underground river) is a river or watercourse that runs wholly or partly beneath the ground, one where the riverbed does not represent the surface of the Earth. It is distinct from an aquifer, which may flow ...
*
Water resources Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. These resources can be either Fresh water, freshwater from natural sources, or water produ ...


Notes and references


Bibliography

* * * * * *
File: Jae-Won, Lee. "A CITY RUNS THROUGH IT: Residents waded into the newly restored Chonggyechon River earlier this month in downtown Seoul, South Korea." * *
"with additions by Sunny Walter and local Audubon chapters." See "Northeast Seattle" section, bullet points "Meadowbrook", "Paramount Park Open Space", "North Seattle Community College Wetlands", and "Sunny Walter -- Twin Ponds".
Particularly useful. * * *
Fiset referenced Warren W. Wing, ''To Seattle by Trolley'' (Edmonds, WA: Pacific Fast Mail), 1988;
o author, title ''Portage'', Winter/Spring 1984;
Gail Lee Dubrow et al., ''Broadview/Bitter Lake Community History'', (Seattle Department of Parks & Recreation), 1995;
o author, title ''Today'', August 4, 1976;
o author, title ''The Seattle Times'', May 22, 1930;
o author, title ''Seattle Post-Intelligencer'', August 19, 1953. * * *
Referenced ''The Electric Trolley'' by Junius Rochester;
''Seattle 1900-1920'' by Richard C. Berner;
''Seattle Now & Then'' by Paul Dorpat;
''The Lake Washington Story'' by Lucille McDonald;
The Don Sherwood Files, Seattle Parks Department. *
from the files of Don Sherwood, 1916–1981, Park Historian
Don Sherwood History Files)
* *
Wa

, NF. * *
Overview and links to full document in PDF. * *
Clean Water & Oceans: Water Pollution: In Depth: Report > Stormwater Strategies Community Responses to Runoff Pollution
Date pe
"Stormwater Strategies Community Responses to Runoff Pollution "
additional chapter 12, October 2001. *
Planning 2001-2004, construction 2006. * * * * *
Thistle St. Longfellow Creek Greenspace * * * *
Good list of news articles; also newsletters and official correspondence. * * * * * *
Viewing locations only; the book has walks, hikes, wildlife, and natural wonders.
Walter excerpted from **
"with additions by Sunny Walter and local Audubon chapters." See "Northeast Seattle" section, bullet points "Meadowbrook", "Paramount Park Open Space", "North Seattle Community College Wetlands", and "Sunny Walter -- Twin Ponds". * *
Includes summary title of Initiative 80.


Further reading

* Overview of the geography of metro Seattle watersheds,
Map of the landscape carved by the Vashon Glacier some 14,000 years ago. ** Homewaters Project

*
Longfellow Creek
Home Page *
What is in urban stormwater runoff


External links


Groundwork HUDSON VALLEY
{{Rivers, streams and springs Water streams Ecological restoration Hydrology Hydraulic engineering Riparian zone Habitat Water and the environment Subterranean rivers