The City of Greenfield recently struggled with storm events flooding Wildcat Creek to the point of frequent over-topping, structure flooding, and bank erosion. The community voiced concerns during public information meetings, driving the City to understand the extent of the flooding problems. The City requested the professional engineering assistance of Ruekert & Mielke, Inc. (R/M) to determine flood risks and develop a more integrated storm water system.
R/M worked with the City of Greenfield, the City of New Berlin, and Milwaukee County to run flood field surveys and site investigations to determine the breadth of the problem in the watershed and create a comprehensive floodplain model and alternative analysis study, Using this data, R/M created an informed, multi-phase implementation plan for waterway improvements.
Improvements to Minimize Storm Water Impact
R/M outlined multiple construction phases, including the development of box culverts, improvements to road drainage, construction of natural and hard armor shore protection, road widening and culvert extension, and the creation of flood walls including the following improvements:
Construction of a dual 8x5 foot RCB structure under Coldspring Road
Removal of dual 48-inch CMP culverts, road widening, and 10X6 foot RCB culvert extensions under Howard Avenue and 124th Street, and shoreline stabilization
Construction of an 8x6 foot RCB structure and road lowering on 112th Street
Installation of a backwater preventor in the STH 100 storm sewer outfall into the Root River
Construction of 350 feet of modular block floodwall
Installation of a geotextile wrapped soil lifts and integrated bank treatment for shoreline stabilization in Kulwicki Park, and native prairie channel buffer protection.
To improve the waterways specifically, our team focused on removal of debris and sediment blocking several structures, as well as creating natural landscaping around the Creek. We addressed bank erosion using gabion baskets, integrated bank treatment, and geotextile wrapped soil lift shoreline stabilization. The construction of a flood wall, public safety improvements, channel stabilization, and fish passage improvements all acted to minimize the effects of future flooding and to improve habitat.
Destabilization and overgrowth before work began.
Improvement to the Creek before stabilizing plants have grown in.
Our team also helped the City of Greenfield obtain cost sharing dollars from the City of New Berlin, as well as grants from the Fund for Lake Michigan and the DNR River Protection Program.
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About the Author
Terrence R. Tavera, P.E., cfm, cpesc
Senior Project Manager
As project manager and engineer, Terry has been involved in a wide variety of municipal and private projects. Terry specializes in storm water management, in addition to general civil engineering. He has experience in the design and project management of storm water management planning, transportation projects, hydraulic and hydrologic modeling, flood control studies, water main and wastewater projects.
