Monday, December 12, 2011

Good Soaking Rain

The timing of this morning's rain couldn't be better for our new plants. I stopped by this morning to check it out. The water is percolating into the ground well. The curb cuts are capturing water from the north side of the street. I wish the street had been graded with a little more crown - because some of the surface water drains away from our swale. We need to make sure that when this street is resurfaced, a better crown is established.

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Installation Complete!

December 10, 2011
Bob's crew from the zoo started the day early by placing the shrubs and grasses along the swale. The zoo has been very generous in their support of this project.
Special thanks to Bill Harris and his Coca-Cola crew of volunteers (about 30 strong) for doing the final planting this morning. It was a special treat to see the families out in support. I saw mostly happy faces. Everything was completed in about 1 1/2 hours - about half the time originally estimated.
The mulch provided the finishing touch.
Because of the early completion, we decided to just hold various interview and photo-ops (instead of the planned ceremony). I look forward to reading articles from Folio Weekly and The Resident, as well as seeing interviews conducted by Riverkeeper, Channel 4 News and First Coast News.
Next up - I will be meeting with COJ maintenance personnel to review with them our approach for the initial maintenance. This project is more than demonstrating LID technology - a critical aspect will be the demonstration of how to maintain these systems.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Lasalle Street BioSwale. Superb design and installation coordination efforts.

Bob Chabot and Chris Dailey had their crew from the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens out yesterday across the Lasalle Street Bioswale site, shaping the swale and planting 3"  DBH cypress trees, Taxodium distichum.






I was by the site with my family returning borrowed books from the adjacent library and wanting to see how the innovative Low Impact Development (LID)  project was coming together.



With open heart surgery less than ten days in the past, I was sore, but also excited.  The 'mini' ecosystem's elevations had been dug and to my 'biologist' eye, mimicked perfectly nature's own elevations and flow contours one would expect to see in a riverine swampy creek.

Typically, one does not encounter many straight lines in nature.  Yet many roadside ditches and drains are miles and miles of linear geometry, repeated over and  over again until from a visual  perspective have become no longer a living, pollutant and nutrient removal system, but just part of the road itself.



Lasalle Street bioswale's design mimics what I describe as "patterned randomness", a formal planting with no  perceived formality, a drought tolerant ecosystem appearing lush and tropical at times and an Urban Core landscape amenity serving to clean NOx and POx's from the air and water, pumping   oxygen back into the air, sequestering carbon, providing habitat - both communal and forage for local pollinators, birds and wildlife, and finally creating a sense of place, a reconnect back to nature.

Curb cuts are placed into the sidewalls and will allow for street level runoff to filter into the ground, replenishing shallow groundwater levels and attenuating flooding volumes.

Saturday will bring crowds of local volunteers to the  project for planting of the native shrubs and grasses, the dwarf yaupon holly, Ilex vomitoria, and the pink muhly grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris and finally the sand cord grass, Spartina bakeri.



Mulch will be applied, the  plantings watered initially watered in (the bioswale will survive on nature provided irrigation such as rainwater, groundwater, dew and fog, and the plants will be allowed to settle in before winter's arrival here in the deep south.

Progress Photos

Excavation work on Monday (12/5):

Curb work on Wednesday (12/7):
The metal base for the sign:
Fine grading on Thursday (12/8):

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Construction Started



Petticoat-Schmitt started construction on Thursday (12/1) with the curb cuts and mobilization of equipment. The roots from the old trees are extensive and have required careful excavation to ensure they don't damage the surrounding pavement and underground utilities. Fortunately, we are partnered with an excellent contractor. The timing is also good for them because their adjacent road project, San Marco Boulevard, is suspended during the holidays.
Bob Chabot will be on site Monday to shape the swales. The concrete for the middle curb cut and the back of flumes will be placed on Tuesday. We will also place the concrete for the sign foundation. Trees will arrive on Wednesday.