The Wilmington Drain Multi-use Project will improve water quality, enhance habitat, and create a new passive park at the site. The Project includes excavation and re-grading of the channel to 1977 flood capacity; placement of three (3) permanent, natively-vegetated access ramps into the channel for maintenance activities; placement of turf reinforced material for bank stabilization on the outer channel banks and the banks of the existing riparian habitat island in the channel; removal of non-native veget4ation and restoration of native southern willow scrub and other habitat within and adjacent to the channel; installation of a trash net system at the upper end of the drainage including a concrete apron; creation of a nature park, including the construction of a new parking lot and improvements to McCoy Avenue. Channel excavating and grading will result in removal of all material to a depth of 1.5 feet and will remove 30,000 cubic yards of material.
PROJECT PURPOSE
Help City meet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) water quality goals, by reducing trash, coliform bacteria, heavy metals, total suspended solids and nitrogen in Wilmington Drain stormwater.
- Restore and increase flood control capacity by removing accumulated sediment along 3,300 long soft-bottom stream bed.
- Remove invasive vegetation. Rehabilitate native habitat to create a healthy environment for wildlife, including the least Bell's vireo, an endangered bird.
- Removal of invasive vegetation removes mosquito breeding areas and helps mitigate occurrence of West Nile Virus that has been detected in the area.
