The Dredge Report Card

Until a few weeks ago, the flow into the lake was controlled by a contraption consisting of a Stop sign wrapped in a plastic bag. Low-concept; low-design; very effective. As the dozens of residents witnessed on October 30 with the turning of the red wheel (see photos below), the city now has something even better than a Stop-In-A-Bag: three separate valves that attenuate water flow into the lake and the creek.

However, the time it takes to fill the lake will depend on several factors. If the weather is wet, not only will the rain contribute water to the lake bed but it will also keep the stream flowing at a rate that doesn't require turning off the valves to ensure stream health. Here's a description from Paul Simpson, our project engineer:

The rate at which the lake will fill is dependent on several factors. First and foremost of course is the weather. This is the driest time of the year so that the flow in Snapfinger Creek is very low. As we are filling the lake, the State requires that the flow in the creek be maintained to at least minimum levels known as the “7Q10”. This equates to what is known as the “base flow” conditions in the stream. If we were to pull too much flow from the creek, it would harm the ecosystem of the creek, which of course we do not want to do. Our maintenance crews will be checking frequently on the flow in the creek and the inflow to the lake and will be adjusting the flows as needed to maintain the proper stream flow.

Meanwhile, there are many tasks that remain on the "punch list," including:

*the landscape architect finishing the design of our banks and berms

*general clean-up and restoration of swings, signs, and debris

*AND the re-opening of the road by the end of the week

TURN IT ON!!!

wait for it . . . wait for it . . .

This Sunday, October 23rd at 4:00 p.m. the water to fill the lake will be turned on. Officially and with great festivity.

Everyone who wants to see the first filling waters since March will gather at the path into the Eastern Wetlands and commence celebrating the return of our lake at the speed of 700 gallons a minute!

Bring cameras and champagne.

Phil Explains: water controls in the Eastern Wetlands

How will water be managed in our new wetlands, stream, and lake? Phil explains.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D3hswDsYRE

Who'll Stop The Rain?

This is the latest aerial photograph of the lake project. Nearly all the changes to the structure are clearly visible, from the new beach sand to the re-sculpted lake bed. The work on the west end of the lake isn't as clearly depicted, but there are tiny construction vehicles---take a close look.

Evidence of the next stage has appeared in the grass next to the Gazebo: the construction of a bio-retention feature designed to manage stormwater run-off from Hemlock, Magnolia, and Clubhouse Drive. Current run-off flows directly into the lake, carrying with it all the pollutants it picks up as it flows downhill. Prior to this installation the city has used a shallow trench and sandbags to direct the water from the street.

The new system will arrest and delay the flow, allowing time for the water to percolate and clean before it makes its way into the lake. The above-ground surface will be planted as a rain garden.

Click on any of the photographs for a closer look.

DredgeFest 2011

look out Bill!

At first it appeared that LakeFest 2011 would be held in spite of the empty lake. However, as these photographs illustrate--LakeFest 2011 was held in celebration of our lake-in-progress.

With the singers, dancers, sculptors and painters and jewelry makers, with the bratwurst and beer, doughnuts and arepas and tomato pie, the beautiful sun and mischevious wind it slowly became obvious the the restoration of the heart of Pine Lake---the lake itself---was the ultimate artistic endeavor.

(that's Will and the willow)

Meanwhile, the beat goes on: the markers next to the Gazebo indicate the initial survey for the rain garden/water management feature soon to be installed.

(and the Pacha Mamas)

The Ladies of the Lake

and The Dames of the Dredge

(a.k.a The Lives Of The Monster Dogs)

Give Me Sand, Lots Of Sand.

If you happened to miss the biggest sandbox in the history of Dekalb County, suffice to say that many of the Pine Lake kids did NOT. If there are photos of the beach frolic that happened several times over the past weekend, please post to the FaceBook site!

(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pine-Lake-Streambank-Restoration-The-Dredge/109652302459010)

This morning a single bulldozer started spreading the sand across the beach and swimming area, beginning a smooth and graduated slope into the new depth.

The work continues on several fronts: in addition to the beach area and the road work, the new surface for the trail on top of the impoundment (the "back berm") should be laid this week.

Even though the lake of LakeFest won't be in attendance, Floatzilla rages on as Boatzilla. Original "walking boat" designs will enter the competition this year: think "walk or run" instead of "sink or swim."

Become the Boat!

System of a Down

Down goes the road: this creates a spillway for any future flood events. The previous road height created a block in the path of overflow.

Down goes the pitch of the northern stream bank: the finished stream will handle creek flow completely differently from the previous vertical banks. The "new" creek better accommodates rising waters, slows down the rate of flood current, creates better habitat, and addresses erosion problems on both banks.

Down goes the bed of the swimming area: in the next several workdays the engineers will determine the water level at "full pool," which will be demarcated by string attached to posts in the lake bed. Within the next two weeks we can also expect the delivery and installation of fresh beach sand.

Pound by pound and inch by inch the dirt is removed, graded, raked, sculpted, hauled, trenched. Slowly our precious lake takes shape.

All Quiet On The Eastern Front

Why are the machines sitting idle?

On August 22nd the city council voted in a special session to include the swimming area in the scope of the streambank restoration project (a.k.a. "The Dredge"). The army corps of engineers determined that shaping the interior banks of the berm, clearing out under the bridges, and removing silt from the bed of the swimming area qualified as part of the project: this means that the federal money CAN be used to do this work. It will be paid for by the grant.

As part of this additional work, permitting specific to the swim and beach area must be completed before the machines can move in and begin the work. This paperwork turnaround is estimated to take ten days.

This week we can expect to see progress on the north bank of the stream (the house side), where clearing and brush cutting has already started. By mid-week the county will begin preliminaries for adjusting the water line that runs beside the portion of street slated to be lowered for the creation of a spillway (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPgsABKBmE).

The result? By the time Thanksgiving rolls around the city will begin to see the rewards of the hard work, patience, and difficult choices (e.g.,the necessary tree removal) Come summertime 2012 when we are swimming in a cleaner lake with a newly poured beach of white sand, we'll all be reaping the great benefits of our vastly improved environment.

Phil Explains:Lowering the Road Bed

The latest in the "Phil Explains" videos: Phil describes one of the next steps in the Pine Lake streambank restoration project---watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuPgsABKBmE

The Dredge Reporters: Blais Explains Fowl Play

WIth the water absent, where have the geese and ducks gone? Blais Liam reports.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNxTKBxIyyo

Bank On It

Within the next day or so a process called "hydroseeding" will be applied to the newly graded (and very bald) banks of our lake. Phil Howland describes the steps and ingredients here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlVDAQjp9No

A Bird's Eye View

The DR is now home from summer vacation, just in time to receive these fantastic aerial photographs. The visible channels are part of the habitat structures that have been assembled and the repurposed tree trunks and root balls have been positioned for lots of swimming and spawning. Fish only.

What's next?

The largest portion of the lake bed is complete. Tonight (August 23) the city council will review the project budget and vote on amendments to upcoming steps. These amendments are specific to three project areas:

1/upgrading the valve systems that control water flow into and out of the lake

2/changes to stabilization of the northern steam bank (the side with houses)

3/dredging the swimming area to restore the internal banks of the surrounding berm and to optimize water quality

The heavy machinery will be out of the large portion of the lake next week. The remaining steps to completion (not including the budget amendment vote tonight) are these:

*lowering the road between the lake and the western wetlands (below the tennis courts) to create a spillway

*creating the bioretention area next to the gazebo

So--million-dollar question: WHEN WILL WE START FILLING THE LAKE????

The official Best Conservative Guess, give or take a week----early October.

The Dredge Reporters: Pieter Rosenbluth

One boy + 11 acres of mud = Happiness. Watch it here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wCyR1BtzCY&feature=related

The Heat Goes On

The Streambank Creation

The Streambank Restoration

Trucks in, trucks out: The lake bed is shaped and sculpted for habitat with plateaus and root balls from several of the felled trees. The dog days of the project are happening now---some rain; lots of excessive heat. Clay has been trucked in and compacted against the dam and fish "shelves" are being established along the perimeter of the lake and the inner berm.

Progress.

Phil Explains: Plantings on the Streambank

(photo by Megan Pulsts)

A brief description of the plantings happening and yet-to-come along our streambank:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUojF2GoCTo

Phil Explains: Fish Cul De Sac

(photo by Megan Pulsts)

Check out the short clip of Phil describing one of the many habitat structures on the lake bed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI3hb7_qdGU&feature=related

Phil Explains: Structures in the Stream

(photo by Megan Pulsts)

Phil describes the newly installed rock cross vanes in the creek:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x_srNvbTms

The Dredge Reporters: Michael Rosenbluth

Michael reports on the fragrances, aromas, and outright stenches of the lake project:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5We1MVn_6c

Go Jump In The Lake(bed)!

This past Saturday, July 23rd, twenty-five or so neighbors took a fish-eye tour of the lake project and its many components. Below is a link to a clip detailing just one element:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oI3hb7_qdGU

The Dredge Reporters: Norah Casariego

Norah takes an pragmatic approach to fish removal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c01gyiTBk14

Under Construction

(photo by Greg Zarus)

At this point in the project it's hard to tell what is being restored, constructed, and removed.

The impoundment has a completely different profile. What was once a mostly vertical face now has two sections--a slope (red arrow) and a bench (white arrow). The slopes are stabilized with jute matting and will be seeded with various plantings to help increase erosion and sediment control.

The June 28th DR included a diagram of the stream showing "rock cross vanes" inserted into the banks and across the bed. All but two of these have been installed and are already creating pools and riffles in the downstream flow.

Within the next week to ten days we'll begin to see more results: the completion of the cross vanes, the removal of existing spoils from the lake bed, and the construction of fish habitat shelves along our berm.

Phil will be taking the PL kids on a tour of the "bottom" of the lake this Saturday, July 23rd at 10 a.m. and describing the lake project from a fish-eye view. This tour is open to children of all ages--feel free to attend (and wear shoes that can take some mud!).

For more photos and information check out:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pine-Lake-Streambank-Restoration-The-Dredge/109652302459010?sk=wall

The Dirt on The Dirt

In the week-plus since the last DR many changes have happened, as evidenced by the machinery in the lake bed, the mounds of earth, the trees that have been cut and stacked, and the lightning strike that delayed this report and rendered it photo-less.

There have been several inquiries about the dirt that's piling up next to the changing stream bank: when and how it can be collected for use in yards and gardens; how it's being managed to protect the stream from sediment as construction continues.

As of this date Phil and Josh Maner (the on-site project manager) are considering trucking the silt removed from the lake bed to the PW building where it can dry and be made available to residents.

As for the erosion and sediment controls along the stream bank construction, there is nothing at this time to prevent some dirt from washing into the stream should there be a rain event.However,in the State of Georgia no in-stream erosion control is permissible (including silt fence).In fact, the designer proposed certain in-stream controls but upon review, the State required the designer to remove those controls.

The basics are not being ignored. On a daily basis the contractor provides such erosion control as is necessary and reasonable and in keeping with the State issued permit. For example, jute matting is being placed on the slopes as the work progresses and PAM mulch will be applied to this and to the bench at the waterside. In addition, the top of the new berm is currently sloped such that rain that falls on the top of the berm will flow into the lake, not the stream, capturing all silt in the now dry lake bed (which, during the course of the work, cannot flow into the stream and will ultimately be removed as work progresses there). Erosion controls are adjusted at the end of each work day to meet the intent and letter of the permit.

A significant amount of silt was already washing into the stream during every rain event- note the raw banks with no vegetation along the northside of the stream. This project will alleviate that problem.

The city and the State regulators understand that a project of this type will necessarily create some concerns and even problems during the course of the work but that the end result will be to create a habitat and bank structure that will keep future erosion to a minimum.

The Dredge Reporters: Yuri and Charleston

The lake project has elicited many responses and questions. Yuri and Charleston talk dirt.

Click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80S9FmPGClE&feature=related

It's Nearly JULY.

WHY IS IT TAKING SO LONG???

As described, the largest part of this project is the streambank restoration--which is exactly what it sounds like. Here is the engineering diagram that indicates the steps that we’ll be watching in the next several weeks (sorry it's small---working on posting a larger copy):

Yes: it is taking longer than originally expected, and possibly longer still depending on the weather. As you’ve read in previous DRs, this is a multi-agency, multi-governmental, and multi-step process with the heavy equipment and earth moving steps greatly affected by rain. It’s a stop/start pain-in-the-neck enterprise and the result will be an improved and stabilized stream and lake ecosystem. That said, we expect to see many trees cut within the next week.

Meanwhile, there have been recent repeat questions about the funding of this project. Here’s an excerpt from the April 17^th DR:

Pine Lake has been approved for a streambank restoration grant as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act in partnership with the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority. This project is specifically focused on reconfiguring the bank between the lake and the creek, with a subset of the work including dredging the eastern area of the lake where nearly all of the silt depositing occurs. A third element in this environmental effort is the construction of a bioretention feature to the west of the Gazebo (where there is currently a drainage ditch.) The last piece of the project is the lowering of the road between the lake and the Western wetlands to create a spillway in the event of a major flood (expect the road to be closed at this phase).

As of June 27^th the road is now closed. Spectators and pedestrians---please stay out of this area which is now an active work site.

For more information about streambank restoration, check out www.wildlandhydrology.com .

For photos and more information, check out

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pine-Lake-Streambank-Restoration-The-Dredge/109652302459010?sk=wall

The Dam,The Berm, The Dike, The Impoundment,The Streambank

Police Chief Purvis/Mayor I.B. Melton

Call it what you will. The earthen dam that separates the lake from the creek will be completely re-sculpted over the next several weeks.

Created in 1952, the dike (as it was referred to then) was created to the best of the city's ability at the time. Unfortunately this included planting trees which over time have become a threat to the structural integrity of the earth that keeps the lake out of the creek--and vice versa.

At the start of the lake project thirty-one trees were originally marked for removal. The dam was reevaluated early last week and it was determined that more trees will need to be removed than was first expected. Removal will begin within the next week or two. This is unfortunate, to say the least, but obviously very necessary. Parts of the trees will be repurposed to create habitat; apparently the remains of a Christmas tree can be seen in the lakebed surrounded by indications of fish activity.

Dozens of stakes were inserted into the lakebed last week. Each of these indicates the depth of the dig in that area, so please don't remove them. There will also be "plateaus" created in the lake bottom to give our fish places to lay eggs.

In case you missed the second round of fish relocation last Thursday, an estimated 2500 fish were taken from the small pool of remaining water and transferred into the creek, one basket at a time.

We've been told to expect equipment to move in by the end of this week or early next week. Of course, any rain can greatly affect the timeline.

For photos and more information, check out http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pine-Lake-Streambank-Restoration-The-Dredge/109652302459010?sk=wall.

http://pinelaketheblog.blogspot.com/2011/05/1952-building-berm.html