Agenda -11-06-2008 - 3c - Laserfiche WebLink

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3 Public Market House and Stillhouse Creek 319-Water Quality Grant: Storm Water Best Management Practices ~ Public Education Site The Public Market House is now open to public use, making it an ideal location to educate the public on the benefits of the stream restoration project, Stillhouse Creek, completed in May of 2006. The stream restoration project has been very successful; eliminating the erosion, filtering the storm water flowing through the creek, increasing the aquatic and wildlife habitat and improving water quality before it reaches the Eno River. Gail Hughes, Soil Conservationist, with the Soil and Water Conservation District applied for and received a 319 Water Quality Grant to plan, install, and demonstrate best management practices used to reduce and slow storm water run off from impervious surfaces, improve water quality, and educate the public on the benefits of these practices. The Orange Soil and Water Conservation District planned, designed and installed the following best management practices at the Public Market House and Stillhouse Creek; • Rain barrels to collect the "first flush" of storm water from the roof of the Public Market, then to be used to irrigate the landscape plants around the Market perimeter; • A rain garden to collect and treat run off water from the roof, the overflow from the rain barrels, and parking lot area of the Public Market before it enters the conservation easement and stream restoration site; • Fence around the stream restoration site, to protect the vegetated stream buffer, from heavy pedestrian traffic and mowers; • A Pet waste receptacle provides citizens with a location to deposit pet waste at the Public Market and along the walking trail that borders the Eno River and crosses Stillhouse Creek; • An educational kiosk to provide educational information about the storm water management practices that are on site and the benefits of a stream restoration project. (An aerial image is attached with all of the practices marked.) The Orange Soil and Water Conservation District staff partnered with several agencies and groups to accomplish this project. These partners include: • Terry Hackett, Orange County Planning Dept., Storm water Resource officer: assisted with design and installation of the rain garden, rain barrels, and educational sign information; • Town of Hillsborough, Planning Dept: permits and Hillsborough Historic District Commission presentations; • Town of Hillsborough, Public Works Dept.: use of backhoe and staff to excavate and help with installation of the rain garden, provided gravel for back fill, and removal of spoil material (in-kind donation); • Orange High School FFA club: youth built the educational kiosk as a community service project and assisted with educational information (in-kind donation); • Orange County Recreation and Parks Dept.: provided information about future park and trails, design/plans for educational sign and fencing; • Orange County Environment and Resource Conservation Dept: provided assistance with location of conservation easement property boundaries (in kind service) • Boy Scout troupe #438: local boy scout group has "adopted the stream", picking up trash, identifying wildlife and aquatic monitoring, identifying wildlife plants and invasive species to target for eradication, and provide information for the educational sign. The grant funding has made it possible for the Orange Soil and Water Conservation District to provide the public with: • a demonstration site for the public to see and understand how and why rain barrels, rain gardens, and pet waste receptacles are important to the environment in urban sites;