Ditch the Berms and Restore the Floodplain!
Julie Fino
Wildlands Engineering, Inc.
Asheville, NC
Wildlands is currently in the second half of the construction phase for the Lower Mud Creek Floodplain Restoration project, which encompasses two different sites on Mud Creek and Johnson’s ditch in Hendersonville, NC. Both sites were impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, holding up to 10’ of floodwater within their floodplains.
The goals of this project are to provide flood storage, remove historical berms and ditches, remove invasive species and replant with natives, restore existing streams, and construct new wetlands. This project is grant-funded and has many moving parts, including future sewers, greenways, natural surface trail development, pedestrian bridges, and existing conservation, railroad, and utility easements.
Floodplain modeling using HEC-RAS was an integral part of the design process for this project. Over 1.5 years worth of 15-minute interval groundwater and stream gauge data was analyzed and used in the development of water control structures which will aid in retaining water onsite following storms, which can be remotely monitored and adjusted.
This presentation will review the unique challenges and opportunities through assessment, design, and ongoing construction of these two sites, from site constraints to new considerations in a post-Helene landscape. We will explore how this project has been able to incorporate stream wetland complexes into floodplain restoration and the inclusion of the public through walking trails, pedestrian bridges, and designated viewing areas.
About Julie Fino
Julie Fino, PE, WFR, is a designer at Wildlands Engineering in Asheville, NC. She has ten years of ecological engineering experience including stream, wetland, and floodplain restoration, dam removals, environmental remediation, and soil and water conservation projects with farmers. She graduated from NC State University (Go Pack!) in 2016 with a degree in Ecological Engineering and a minor in Trumpet Music Performance. When she isn’t working, she enjoys whitewater kayaking (preferred kayak = Wavesport EZG), playing the trumpet and Eb cornet, and exploring the mountains with her geologist husband, Jared, adventure cat and pitsky puppy.