After doing a watershed study, at least for their own development upstream from 11th Street, the developers of the Hill Place student-apartment complex say that the big culvert south of the tunnel that brings the Town Branch from near Sixth Street to the eastside of the railroad needs to be removed to prevent flooding upstream.
They also theorize that removal of the culvert would create a more natural stream and protect people downstream from flooding.
The filling of acres of land over which the Town Branch flowed when it filled its banks is one problem.
Another is the huge amount of paved area on the University of Arkansas campus and the adjacent hill to the west, from which the water collects to form the Town Branch. With the university having created a team to work on environmental matters, there is hope that a bit of pressure can bring about changes in the way the university manages its stormwater, which could help the Town Branch Neighborhood as well as the Hill Place Apartment complex plus the Beaver Lake watershed and the quality and cost of our drinking water.
Development of the former Aspen Ridge site will pave more and increase flooding. However, revegetating as much of the land as possible will be expected to reduce siltation of the stream. The PROCESS of removing the culvert and the red-dirt-based roadway over it will inevitably put a lot of dirt in the Town Branch and eventually in Beaver Lake.
Removing the culvert will create a treeless opening that will allow sunlight will reach the stream and increase the threat of algae blooming in the stream during periods of low flow. One of the most significant concerns about clearing the riparian zone of streams is the reduction of fish and crayfish and other aquatic species and the minute organisms at the bottom of a stream's food chain.
It will be a city-council decision. The public will be allowed to speak tonight before the council votes. Be there if you have any information or opinion to share.
The item is next to last on the agenda. So you don't have to be there early to speak. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. so plan to arrive at 6:30 in case things go fast. A couple of things may take a lot of talk before that one comes up. The exact time is unpredictable.
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1 comment:
It's over. We've withdrawn the application. We are going to fence the crossing to keep the area save from people entering the area and jumping off into the ponded area at the bottom of the culvert.
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