The City of Richmond is planning a stream restoration for a portion of Reedy Creek that is within Crooked Branch Ravine Park. The basic goal is to reduce sediment and nutrient loads which localities are required to do under the Chesapeake Bay Total Maxomum Daily Load (TMDL). While this sounds like a step in the right direction, Reedy Creek Coaltion has decided that we cannot support this project.
Our concerns are summarized below.
Read our complete comments to the Department of Public Utilities here: RCC Comments to DPU
Click here see the draft of the city’s plan. Please note that other projects are included in this plan; our comments apply only to the Reedy Creek Project.
Location
Red marker indicates where we believe the project will begin
- The restoration site is immediately downstream from a long section of concrete channel that intensifies the power of the stormwater draining from Midlothian Turnpike, decreasing the chance of success. This is a high risk-low reward project.
- The project is planned for a passive park that is completely wooded. Regrading the stream banks will require that heavy equipment gain access to the site and will require the removal of trees from the stream bank.
- This portion of Reedy Creek does have eroded banks, but it is the best riparian area along the creek. Other sites in the upper portion of the watershed may be more appropriate.
Storm Water Volume 
- The source of the problem for urban streams is the volume of water that runs off of lawns, roofs, and paved areas into the streams.
- Stream restoration does nothing to fix this problem.
- The image above is Reedy Creek downstream of the proposed restoration site after a rain. This is not a Gaston event! This is a regular occurence.
- Efforts to reducing storm water volume should come first. Restoration projects follow.
- A comprehensive long term plan is needed.
I think a great place for a rain garden would be the lowest point of the ROC church parking lot which is huge and a vegetated depression, like the one on Sturbridge and Robious, could hold a lot of storm water runoff from the parking lot. Volunteers from RCC and the ROC Church could work together to plant wet and dry tolerant plants after the grant money creates the depression and banks. Grant money could buy the few parking spaces from the roc church needed to do this and their stormwater fee reduction could pay for some of this as well. Trees could mark the outside of the stormwater holding area.
I agree that these existing trees look like they already slow the water a lot causing it to drop sediment. It would be a shame to lose those trees.
And Forest Hill Lake already provides a place to hold flood water that has already entered the stream without this change.