Orange County NC Website
would give them a little more of a head start, but they would still be small plants. <br />Bioengineering would be used for the banks that will fit in with the existing structure. <br />Brent Bogue explained that when this project is completed, it would look a lot like <br />a natural stream with the vegetation and natural rocks and said that one new prefab <br />bridge would go across. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis said that he wanted to make sure that there would not be <br />any cost to Orange County and staff agreed. He then asked about the third bridge. It <br />was explained that one of the bridges, the Boy Scout Bridge, is being moved. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis asked about the diameter of the pipe in reference to discharge. <br />Staff explained that the pipes were 48 inches in diameter and Commissioner <br />Halkiotis asked what happens when the discharge is shooting out "wide open" like in the <br />case of Hurricane Fran. He wanted to know if this had been taken into consideration and <br />what would happen to this restoration project. <br />Brent Bogue said this was taken into consideration and that pools would be in <br />place to dissipate the energy from the pipes. When seen in their natural flow state, the <br />pools will look like little water falls. The pools would not be very deep but would be rock <br />veins that come in from the side of the stream channel. When high flow comes out of the <br />pipes the water would hit these stone veins, which would cause the water to turn a little bit <br />and dissipate that energy rather than force it down the stream and erode the bank. It will <br />be approximately a 10 to 15 foot wide diameter area and will look like a natural stream <br />channel. <br />Commissioner Gordan asked Paul Thames to speak about this from an engineer's <br />viewpoint. <br />Paul Thames said that putting things in a stream to change water velocity is a <br />common way to prevent erosion. He said that putting the veins and dams in and <br />spreading the flow out over a larger area will slow the water down. Restricting the flow of <br />the same amount of water increases the velocity. And the energy in the veins causes the <br />water to become turbulent in places as opposed to scouring. This is the kind of thing you <br />want if you want to preserve a natural look. He said that you could make it mare efficient <br />by getting the water out by just putting in a concrete flume. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked if what Commissioner Halkiotis described, with the <br />water charging through, would wash out the stream. <br />Paul Thames said that all streams have some erosion when you have a storm of <br />Katrina's magnitude. When Commissioner Halkiotis talked about how the water backs up, <br />that is not the stream backing up, it is the Ena River. What happens in that case is that all <br />the area will be under water just like it is now. That also dissipates the velocity. He said if <br />you want a natural looking stream this is the way to create it. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked if it would be possible to use some other kind of <br />artificial or human made construction in the area near the Government Services Center <br />where the stream is narrower. She said that the woods appear to be so close to the <br />bridge that it doesn't seem safe for people walking back and forth. She asked if it was <br />possible to do something else to slow the water down and do something that would <br />prevent erosion of the Government Services Building, between the street and the first <br />bridge, that wouldn't require people to go across the woods? <br />Perry Sugg said there is not much that can be done. It is narrow and it is mostly <br />rock structure. He said that what is usually done when a stream is this narrow is that <br />planting is not done right up to the crossing and they leave a wider corridor. <br />Commissioner Gordon asked if a retaining wall approach could be used since this <br />is to be planted? That way, if you wanted to go from the Government Services Building to <br />the Sheriff's Office you would not have to walk through the woods. She asked how far <br />back the woods would be from the bridge. <br />