Revitalizing A Neglected Urban Watershed EarthCache

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Hidden : 4/2/2008
Difficulty:
1.5 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size: not chosen (not chosen)

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Geocache Description:


Welcome to the Burnt Bridge Greenway. This Earth Cache is located on a paved level trail that is completely accessable by wheelchair. Parking waypoint listed below.

Revitalizing A Neglected Urban Watershed

Welcome to the Burnt Bridge Greenway. In 2001 the City of Vancouver obtained the necessary permits and land use rights to convert the land back to wetlands. They also wanted to make an extensive trail system but yet retain a nature rich area.
The predominant segment of the basin is former farmland overrun by non-native Reed Canarygrass. Homesteaders, dating back to the 1860s, dug a straight trapezoidal-shaped ditch to drain the wetland flood plain in order to produce higher crop yields in these fertile bottomlands.

The question became, how do you undo the damage?

“The approach was to satisfy stormwater management and water quality requirements in large part with the creation of fully functional restored flood plains and storied native vegetation,” says Victor Ehrlich, P.E., City Engineer and project leader. “This together with providing environmental education, stewardship opportunities and recreational value to the greenway, achieved broad regulatory and community acceptance. The design and implementation was exquisite and exceeded our own high expectations for this project.”
One of the project’s primary goals was to improve water quality by treating surface water before it entered the creek. Prior to the project, a 48-inch storm sewer from the adjoining urban areas discharged polluted surface water directly into Burnt Bridge Creek. In a previous project for the city, a new water treatment facility was designed and developed that used a three-stage process. In the first stage, stormwater flows through vortexing manholes to remove trash, sediment, oils and grease. Large vacuum trucks regularly remove captured trash and materials. In stage two, water from the vortexing manhole advances to the new ponds. Water flows slowly in the pond for long periods while sediment sinks to the bottom and microorganisms break down other contaminants. The pond holds water during periods of heavy rainfall, reducing flooding in the creek. In drier seasons, water drains through the soil, which recharges the groundwater table.
By removing materials in the first step, we have experienced little sediment buildup. The aesthetic appearance improves because floatable materials are removed. In the final stage, the wetlands within the greenway receive water from the water quality ponds. In the wetlands, water moves slowly to the creek, absorbed and filtered by soil and plant roots. This natural action cleans the water and helps regulate the water temperature, improving habitat for aquatic life.

To complete this Earth Cache please do the following:

 1. Take a picture of your GPS in a unique way using the stones at the location. Upload this picture with your log.

2. Email the answers to the following two questions using the interpretive signs at the cache site.

Question 1: Water flowing from the vortexing manholes improves the water quality. What is the function of gravity in this process?

Question 2: Clean water from the ponds flows through the wetlands and returns to the creek. Biological activity in the process removes what?


Interpretive Signage and Mile Markers:

 In past projects, interpretive sign panels have been provided to educate the public about the surrounding ecosystem. Typical sign panels are often large, complicated and wordy. In urban areas where people frequently use trails, these interpretive signs are often ignored and become a visual eyesore. To address the challenge, a unique sign system was designed.
Verbal information provide on each sign attempts to engage the reader in a simple, direct manner. Some signs are a part of a series describing the history of Burnt Bridge Creek or the water treatment process. Other signs, such as the wildlife images, work as stand alones. Since five-inch square steel posts were already being used for railings and bollards throughout the project, the same square tubing as frames and supports was used.
The mile markers are another unique aspect of the sign system. Four-inch bronze survey markers are embedded flush into the trail surface every one-quarter mile. Each marker has specific GPS coordinates to help emergency response teams serve the public and protect the greenway. The project’s symbol, the dragonfly, is engraved in all the trail mile markers and is featured on the interpretive signage.

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