easygrants id: 29443 national fish and wildlife foundation

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Easygrants ID: 29443 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NFWF/Legacy Grant Project ID: 0603.11.029443

Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grants 2011 - Submit Final Programmatic Report (Activities)

Grantee Organization: City of Waynesboro, Virginia

Project Title: Healthy South River Initiative (VA)

Project Period 06/01/2010 - 09/30/2013

Award Amount $100,000.00

Matching Contributions $72,757.13

Project Location Description (from Proposal) This project is located in the South River watershed (Shenandoah River

Basin) in northwestern Virginia.

Project Summary (from Proposal) Reduce and treat stormwater runoff in a subwatershed of the South

River in Waynesboro, Virginia. Project will enhance existing regional

stormwater infrastructure, develop a stormwater education and cost

share program, identify sustainable financing strategies, and engage

homeowners to install rain barrels and rain gardens.

Summary of Accomplishments The largest accomplishment for the project was the low-cost completion

of a retrofit to an existing regional stormwater detention pond by

installing a sediment forebay and constructed wetland to treat 85 acres

of urban watershed that had no water quality measures in place. This

resulted in very favorable costs per lb. of pollutants reduced of

$2,394.40 per lb for Phosphorous, $169.71 per lb. for Nitrogen, and

$3.74 for Sediment. The financing workshop held in October 2012 was

attended by staff from local government and non-profits (PDC’s and

CBF) from the Valley, and speakers were from Center for Watershed

Protection, University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center, and

the City of Lynchburg. The City Public Works and Planning staff also

worked with the Center for Watershed Protection for a 1.5 day

Stormwater Retrofit Training class that included methods to analyze the

feasibility of sites for retrofit opportunities and a review of the City’s

Stormwater BMP database. Planning and execution for the workshop

and the training class were also supported by project partners at Virginia

DCR/ DEQ and the Central Shenandoah PDC.

Lessons Learned It is important to look at all aspects of a potential retrofit site including

but not limited to topography, utility conflicts, pollutant reductions,

potential costs, potential traffic impacts, and maintenance concerns.

Begin deed research for a parcel as one of the first steps of retrofit

design. The engineering costs for the BMP retrofit project exceeded the

estimate which was based on 32% of the construction estimate.

Waynesboro experienced abnormally high rainfall during the spring and

summer of 2013, but any future constructed wetland projects will have

specifications for dewatering in the project documents, and the

contractors responsibility to provide pumps and sedimentation control

for dewatering will be made clear before bids are submitted. The retrofit

of a regional detention basin generated significant pollutant reductions

for the cost of the project, and it was worth the investment for the City.

Conservation Activities Retrofit Pelham East detention basin

Progress Measures Acres treated by stormwater BMPs

Value at Grant Completion 85


Progress Measures Lbs. of nitrogen reduced from entering the waterways

Value at Grant Completion 562.02/yr


Progress Measures Lbs. of phosphorous reduced from entering the waterways


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Progress Measures Tons of sediment reduced from entering the waterways


Conservation Activities Conduct a watershed assessment for stormwater retrofit opportunities

Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Additional potential stormwater retrofits in South

River watershed identified)


Conservation Activities Conduct Stormwater Financing Workshop for local government staff and

elected officials

Progress Measures # of participants/volunteers in project


Conservation Activities Conduct workshop for local technical staff on stormwater retrofit methods

Progress Measures # of participants/volunteers in project


Conservation Activities Desktop analysis of City SWM BMP Inventory

Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Updated attribute table for water quality tracking)


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Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund Final Programmatic Report Narrative

Retrofitting Our Way to a Healthy South River

1. Project Description.

Briefly describe your project, including a description of the problem your project is trying to address, the project’s

objectives and strategies, as well as the project location, and a characterization of the watershed and the relevant

characteristics of the community’s natural resources, population, and economy.

The project ‘Retrofitting our Way to a Healthy South River’ was a combination of implementation and educational

components geared towards achieving pollutant reductions and also targeting a broad audience of local government and

non-profit employees in financing and implementing water quality practices for stormwater in the Shenandoah Valley.

The educational component included a financing workshop that was targeted at upper level management and finance staff

for localities and a retrofit workshop for technical staff employed by Staunton and Waynesboro. Approximately 90% of

the $100,000 grant was applied to the design and construction of a sediment forebay and constructed wetland in an

existing dry detention pond with an 85 acre drainage area. The BMP retrofit was first identified in the South River TMDL

Implementation Plan, and the newly constructed water quality features address the sediment and nutrient impairments

from the TMDL study.

- Problems-

o Implementation: large urban subwatershed with outdated stormwater management practices and no water

quality features in place.

o Outreach/ education: limited knowledge of implementing stormwater financing applications and analysis

and ranking mechanisms for identifying future water quality retrofit projects.

- Objectives and strategies-

o Implementation: Maximize pollutant removal with funds available by focusing on existing BMP’s with

large footprint and minimal water quality benefits.

o Outreach: Target the region’s gaps in local government staff’s knowledge and resources for the best ways

to sustainably fund stormwater implementation.

- Project Location- Waynesboro, Augusta County, VA

o BMP Retrofit Site: Latitude: 38º 04' 56.05"N; Longitude: 78º 55' 00.69"W

- Community Characteristics- The South River watershed is a mix of National Forest, agricultural, and urban land

uses. The South River impairments on the segment that runs through Waynesboro include e. coli, phosphorous,

and sediment. The South River is a critical natural resource within the community, and several different

organizations are working within the watershed to improve water quality and enhance local and regional

resident’s use of the resource. The population of Waynesboro is relatively steady at approximately 21,000

residents. The economy of Waynesboro has experienced significant change in the past 15-20 years with a

dwindling manufacturing sector, and the City’s close proximity to the Blue Ridge Mountains and South River are

important for attracting tourists and providing a high quality of life for residents that work for smaller companies

that find the amenities Waynesboro offers attractive.

2. Summary of Accomplishments

In four to five sentences, provide a brief summary of the project’s key accomplishments and outcomes that were observed

or measured.

The largest accomplishment for the project was the low-cost completion of a retrofit to an existing regional stormwater

detention pond by installing a sediment forebay and constructed wetland to treat 85 acres of urban watershed that had no

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water quality measures in place. This resulted in very favorable costs per lb. of pollutants reduced of $2,394.40 per lb for

Phosphorous, $169.71 per lb. for Nitrogen, and $3.74 for Sediment. The financing workshop held in October 2012 was

attended by staff from local government and non-profits (PDC’s and CBF) from the Valley, and speakers were from

Center for Watershed Protection, University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center, and the City of Lynchburg. The

City Public Works and Planning staff also worked with the Center for Watershed Protection for a 1.5 day Stormwater

Retrofit Training class that included methods to analyze the feasibility of sites for retrofit opportunities and a review of

the City’s Stormwater BMP database. Planning and execution for the workshop and the training class were also supported

by project partners at Virginia DCR/ DEQ and the Central Shenandoah PDC.

3. Project Activities & Outcomes

Project activities and outcomes were modified from the full proposal when the grant award was reduced to $100,000. The

activities and outcomes were also changed during the grant period. The residential rain garden was eliminated to provide

adequate funds to build the constructed wetland; the money that was transferred between tasks was roughly equal to the

difference between the original estimate and the reduced amount for the BMP conversion. The pollutant reductions from

the BMP conversion are significant enough to offset the water quality benefits of the eliminated residential rain garden.

During the course of the grant project the City of Waynesboro was designated as a Phase II MS4 Community. This

shifted the focus of retrofit analysis tasks to identification of sites where the City would have more defined access than

private facilities and be able to install practices to meet pollutant reductions as required by the MS4 permit. The City

regularly participates in several outreach events each year, these events are not specifically quantified for this report, but

Public Works staff provide information about water quality opportunities at Public Works Day, conduct a ‘Watershed

Walk’ for middle school students along the South River, and a composting program has been started recently.

Activities

Describe and quantify (using the approved metrics referenced in your grant agreement) the primary activities

conducted during this grant.

Briefly explain discrepancies between the activities conducted during the grant and the activities agreed upon

in your grant agreement.

- Conservation Activities Retrofit Pelham East detention basin o Progress Measures Acres treated by stormwater BMPs o Value at Grant Completion 89

o Drainage Area measured by Design Engineer: 85 Acres

- Conservation Activities Hold a one day retrofit training o Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (City staff capable of identifying suitable retrofit projects) o Value at Grant Completion 6

o 10 People attended the Retrofit Training including the City of Staunton Stormwater Engineer

- Conservation Activities Hold a one day retrofit training o Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Additional potential stormwater retrofits in South River watershed

identified) o Value at Grant Completion 5 o During the training session, the Retrofit Reconnaissance methods developed by the Center for Watershed

Protection were used to assess three sites, and two other sites were identified using these methods during the grant period

- Conservation Activities Hold a one day Stormwater Financing Workshop o Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Number of Participants) o Value at Grant Completion 20 o 20 People attended the workshop

- Conservation Activities Conduct a Desktop analysis of City SWM BMP Inventory o Progress Measures Other Activity Metric (Updated attribute table for water quality tracking) o Value at Grant Completion 1 o A one half-day training session was conducted with City and CWP staff to update the City’s attribute table for

Stormwater BMP’s to meet the requirements of the pending MS4 Permit

-

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Outcomes

Describe and quantify progress towards achieving the project outcomes described in your grant agreement.

(Quantify using the approved metrics referenced in your grant agreement or by using more relevant metrics

not included in the application.)

Briefly explain discrepancies between what actually happened compared to what was anticipated to happen.

Provide any further information (such as unexpected outcomes) important for understanding project activities

and outcome results.

Pollutant reductions for the BMP retrofit were calculated following construction by application of the runoff storage

curves that were approved by the Chesapeake Bay Program Expert Panel in October 2012. This methodology was not

available when the grant proposal was submitted, but is more applicable to the BMP in question due to its small size

relative to modern design standards. The runoff storage was considered to be 64,800 cubic feet which equates to the

2,400 cubic yards of soil removed from the site.

- Conservation Activities Retrofit Pelham East detention basin o Progress Measures Lbs. of nitrogen reduced from entering the waterways o Value at Grant Completion 140/yr o Value from runoff storage curve: 562.02 lbs./ yr

- Conservation Activities Retrofit Pelham East detention basin o Progress Measures Lbs. of phosphorous reduced from entering the waterways o Value at Grant Completion 20/yr o Value from runoff storage curve: 39.84 lbs./ yr

- Conservation Activities Retrofit Pelham East detention basin o Progress Measures Tons of sediment reduced from entering the waterways o Value at Grant Completion 2/yr

- Value from runoff storage curve: 12.75 tons/ yr The Pelham East BMP conversion also produced some pleasant, although not wholly unexpected results. The constructed wetland proved to be an excellent habitat for wildlife including songbirds, amphibians, and other animals. The residents who live near the wetland also expressed appreciation for the conversion of a previously barren field to a vibrant, diverse habitat.

4. Challenges and Lessons Learned

Describe any specific challenges that have arisen during the course of the project and how they have been addressed.

Also describe the key lessons learned from this project, such as the least and most effective conservation practices or

notable aspects of the project’s methods, monitoring, or results. How could other conservation organizations adapt their

projects to build upon some of these key lessons about what worked best and what did not?

One significant challenge that was encountered during the planning for the financing workshop was how to engage local

elected officials. Hopefully more successful projects such as the Pelham East BMP retrofit will demonstrate to local

leaders the value of these projects for community enhancement as well as water quality benefits.

Challenge: A site that can look promising for a retrofit after desktop analysis or a cursory site visit can turn out to not be

suitable or cost effective for a retrofit.

Lesson: It is important to look at all aspects of a potential retrofit site including but not limited to topography, utility

conflicts, pollutant reductions, potential costs, potential traffic impacts, and maintenance concerns.

Challenge: The BMP retrofit portion of the project presented challenges during the design and construction phases. The

City’s responsibility for long-term maintenance of the BMP parcel was accepted by the developer and the City, but the

agreement was informal, and it required reconstructing the subdivision process and obtaining a legal opinion as to the

intent of language included on subdivision plats. This process slowed the project down several months. This is going to

be an on-going issue for retrofit projects as maintenance agreements were not been required by regulations before 2005,

and projects constructed since 2005 have not always had maintenance agreements recorded.

Lesson: Begin deed research for a parcel as one of the first steps of retrofit design.

Challenge: The engineering costs for the BMP retrofit project exceeded the estimate which was based on 32% of the

construction estimate.

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Lessons:

- The engineering costs in the estimate did not take into account the bid and construction phase services

that engineering firms provide to municipal clients. This is a very important service to insure that

procurement policies are followed and a project is constructed to specifications.

- The engineering costs in the estimate did not include geo-technical engineering; this is an item that

should always be included as a contingency.

- The engineering costs in the estimate did not include permitting; in this case the drafting of a SWPPP

and application for coverage under the State of VA Construction General Permit.

Challenge: During construction of the BMP conversion, weather was a major factor.

Lesson: Waynesboro experienced abnormally high rainfall during the spring and summer of 2013, but any future

constructed wetland projects will have specifications for dewatering in the project documents, and the contractors

responsibility to provide pumps and sedimentation control for dewatering will be made clear before bids are submitted.

Challenge: The Pelham East BMP retrofit project was the first major retrofit completed within the City, and it was a

challenge in and of itself for the City Public Works staff.

Lessons: The retrofit of a regional detention basin generated significant pollutant reductions for the cost of the project,

and it was worth the investment for the City.

5. Dissemination

Briefly identify any dissemination of lessons learned or other project results to external audiences, such as the public or

other conservation organizations.

The BMP conversion was successful enough for the City that funding has been secured for a much larger project with a

similar concept design. This was a pilot project for a seven acre constructed wetland with almost four times the pollutant

removal expected.

6. Project Documents

Include in your final programmatic report, via the Uploads section of this task, the following:

2-10 representative photos from the project. Photos need to have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi;

report publications, GIS data, brochures, videos, outreach tools, press releases, media coverage;

any project deliverables per the terms of your grant agreement.

POSTING OF FINAL REPORT: This report and attached project documents may be shared by the Foundation and any

Funding Source for the Project via their respective websites. In the event that the Recipient intends to claim that its final

report or project documents contains material that does not have to be posted on such websites because it is protected

from disclosure by statutory or regulatory provisions, the Recipient shall clearly mark all such potentially protected

materials as “PROTECTED” and provide an explanation and complete citation to the statutory or regulatory source for

such protection.

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Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund www.nfwf.org/chesapeake

Retrofitting Our Way to a Healthy South River Organization: City of Waynesboro

Project Partners: VA DCR; VA DEQ; Center for Watershed Protection (the City);

Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC)

Grant Award: $100,000

Matching Funds: $72,800

Project Description. The South River runs through the center of the City of Waynesboro, and receives considerable

runoff from several types of urban land use within the city limits. Based on cost benefit analyses conducted during the

development of the TMDL implementation

plan, it was determined that a combination of

small scale retrofits such as residential

raingardens and a series of retrofits to aging

regional stormwater facilities would be the most

promising strategy to meet TMDL reduction

goals for developed land. This project was

designed to target these needs as well as

providing a venue for staff and elected officials

in the region to discuss funding strategies to

address water quality on a long-term basis.

1. Pelham East Basin retrofit- The City of

Waynesboro is responsible for maintaining

the Pelham East detention basin, which is a

2.1 acre basin with an 89.7 acre drainage

area. Currently, this basin is designed to

control peak stormwater flows but does

little to address water quality. In close

partnership with the CWP, the City will

work with the engineering subcontractor to

develop design plans to convert the existing dry pond to a vegetated extended detention facility to maximize its

pollutant reduction capacity. The City of Waynesboro will work with a construction subcontractor to lead the

construction component of the project. The retrofit will include: an increase in the volume of the basin, vegetative

plantings, and a sediment forebay for pretreatment.

2. Neighborhood Stewardship Initiative- Residential Rain Garden

City of Waynesboro staff will identify a suitable location for a residential rain garden within the South River

watershed. The site will be selected based on landowner interest, associated water quality benefits, and site

suitability. The Center for Watershed Protection will assist with the design of the rain garden and installation will be

completed by a private contractor.

3. Financing Workshop/Stormwater Management Program Planning-Through the South River project, the City of

Waynesboro and the Center for Watershed Protection will work with the CSPD to hold a regional workshop on

innovative financing strategies for stormwater retrofits.

4. Watershed assessment/project prioritization- In order to prioritize existing stormwater retrofit opportunities and

identify additional retrofit projects, city staff will employ the Center for Watershed Protection’s (CWP) Retrofit

Reconnaissance Investigation field methods and process for prioritizing stormwater retrofit concepts. Staff will

conduct a series of watershed surveys and map potential retrofit locations.

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Goals and Outcomes. Objectives: The objectives of this project are to reduce and treat stormwater runoff in a subwatershed of the South River,

develop the knowledge and data foundation to implement further stormwater facility retrofits, to demonstrate individual

scale stormwater practices, and to engage local officials on potential funding mechanisms for implementing urban water

quality initiatives.

Results: 1. Detention Pond Retrofit for an 89.7 acre drainage area, the preliminary estimates for pollutant reduction derived

using the Runoff Reduction Method:

- TP=20 lbs removed/yr

- TN=140 lbs removed/yr

- TSS = 4,000 lbs removed/yr

2. 1 Residential Rain Garden to treat approximately 750 square feet of impervious surface

3. Foundation for a database of potential retrofit sites within the City

Status. The project is in the design/ planning phase. Concept plans for the basin retrofit are to be reviewed by the City

and CWP during the week of May 21.

Challenges and Lessons Learned. The challenges encountered to date center around the lack of

complete legal documentation of the facility’s status and the fact that utilities were laid outside there intended

easements. The biggest lesson learned to date is to insure that completing stormwater facilities is not brushed

off during the completion of a development project so that maintenance and upgrading in the future is not

compromised.

Lessons learned during the retrofit project will also be incorporated into planning for future projects within the watershed

including priority projects in Augusta County that were identified in the TMDL IP.

Readiness for Scale Up. This project was designed as the foundation for multiple future projects within the City of

Waynesboro. The retrofit site is the first of several facilities that were identified during the development of the South

River/ Christian’s Creek TMDL Implementation Plan as high priority projects due to an attractive cost benefit ratio in

terms of pollutant reduction.

The Retrofit Analysis with City and CWP

staff will also be an important building

block for further water quality projects to

meet TMDL goals.

The residential rain garden is also critical

because residents are becoming

increasingly more conscious of water

quality and water conservation; there has

also been interest in a rain barrel

workshop similar to what was included in

the original proposal.

For more information, contact: Trafford McRae

941 Fir Street

Waynesboro, VA 22980

[email protected]

540-942-6627

http://www.waynesboro.va.us/

Map: Nesha McRae, VA DCR

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PROJECT TOTAL IMPERVIOUS LOADS (PER MS4 UNIT LOADS) PERVIOUS LOADS (per MS4 UNIT LOADS) TOTAL LOADS TO RETROFIT RUNOFF STORAGE RUNOFF STORAGE RUNOFF DEPTH REMOVAL RATES (PER EXPERT PANEL REPORT) TOTAL LOAD REDUCTIONS (LBS)

NAME DRAINAGE AREA (AC) AREA (AC) TP TN TSS AREA (AC) TP TN TSS TP TN TSS VOLUME (CF) VOLUME (AC-FT) TREATED (IN) TP TN TSS TP TN TSS

Pelham East 85.00 21.25 34.43 358.28 24890.55 62.75 25.73 631.89 11031.45 60.15 990.17 35922.00 64800.00 1.49 0.84 66% 57% 71% 39.84 562.02 25491.78

0 0 0.00 0.00 0.00

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