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Unearthing Ecological Potential: Daylighting and Restoring A Stream that had Been Buried for a Century

Katie Talley
Biohabitats, Inc.
Baltimore, MD

Authors:
Katie Talley, PE, Water Resources Engineer at Biohabitats
Neil Eisenberger, PLA, Principal at Lamar Johnson Collaborative
Mark Davis, PE, Project Manager at David Mason and Associates
Bill Reininger, Executive Director at Tower Grove Park

Tower Grove Park, located in St. Louis, Missouri, once served as a hunting ground for people of the indigenous Osage Nation, but today, serves as a National Historic Landmark known for its winding paths, Gardenesque-style plantings, and elaborate, Victorian structures. The park also holds a little known, and highly valuable secret. For a century, the East Stream, a tributary to the Missouri River, has been quietly flowing through a pipe beneath the historic site – until recently.

Working in collaboration with members of the Osage Nation, Biohabitats and project partners Lamar Johnson Collaborative, David Mason Associates, and others, developed an integrated restoration approach to daylight 1,370 linear feet of buried stream to its original above-ground alignment, while incorporating the restored East Stream into a strategy to manage stormwater flowing from over 43 acres of parkland and nearby residential areas. Daylighting the East Stream helped reduce the amount of stormwater that previously entered the combined sewer system in St. Louis, which helps reduce the potential for downstream overflows and receiving water impairments. This collaborative effort yielded important educational and community awareness benefits, as it led to the integration of nature play areas, interpretive signage, and Osage symbolism and artwork throughout the project limits.

This presentation will discuss the integrated restoration approach development used to restore the historic stream alignment and provide additional stormwater management, the benefits associated with stream daylighting, as well as the engagement with stakeholders to enhance biodiversity, ecological function, and preservation of historic character while honoring the Osage Nation.