Storm Water Management - Stream Naturalization

[Bytor]

Schneider and Shoemaker Creek Naturalization Environmental Assessment

The Schneider and Shoemaker creeks are currently lined with concrete where the rivers meet. During heavy rains, creeks spill over and flood areas around it, which creates a risk to public safety.
We will complete an Environmental Assessment (EA) to plan a workable design solution for this issue.
As part of the EA, we will consider environmental risks and find ways to avoid or reduce impacts. Widening and naturalizing the creek will provide greater public safety. It will also create region-wide environmental benefits.
This includes improving water quality in Schneider Creek and the Grand River downstream. The creek would also have better habitat for fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. The EA and any potential improvement works are a result of a culmination of previous studies in the area.
Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund
This initiative is funded in part by the Government of Canada. For more information about this partnership between the City of Kitchener and the Government of Canada through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, visit kitchener.ca/Stormwater


[b]Upcoming p[/b][b]ublic information centre:[/b]
[b]April 13, 2023[/b]
[b]6:00pm – 8:00pm[/b].
[b]Rockway Golf C[/b][b]ourse (625 Rockway Drive, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3B5)[/b]

Ironic - they were lined with concrete after flooding in their natural state.

Many decades ago when we were still assuming that human-created structures were always better and the focus was merely on containing the water and almost zero attention given to environmental and societal impacts and we didn't understand the engineering reasons why various natural geographies actually work to mitigate flooding.

These days we know how to design natural-looking stream beds that mitigate flooding, work better ecologically for the native species and provide a healthier, more enjoyable urban environment both physically and mentally for the human residents.

[Acitta]

Schneider and Shoemaker Creek Naturalization Environmental Assessment

The Schneider and Shoemaker creeks are currently lined with concrete where the rivers meet. During heavy rains, creeks spill over and flood areas around it, which creates a risk to public safety.
We will complete an Environmental Assessment (EA) to plan a workable design solution for this issue.
As part of the EA, we will consider environmental risks and find ways to avoid or reduce impacts. Widening and naturalizing the creek will provide greater public safety. It will also create region-wide environmental benefits.
This includes improving water quality in Schneider Creek and the Grand River downstream. The creek would also have better habitat for fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds. The EA and any potential improvement works are a result of a culmination of previous studies in the area.
Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund
This initiative is funded in part by the Government of Canada. For more information about this partnership between the City of Kitchener and the Government of Canada through the Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund, visit kitchener.ca/Stormwater


[b]Upcoming p[/b][b]ublic information centre:[/b]
[b]April 13, 2023[/b]
[b]6:00pm – 8:00pm[/b].
[b]Rockway Golf C[/b][b]ourse (625 Rockway Drive, Kitchener, ON, N2G 3B5)[/b]

Ironic - they were lined with concrete after flooding in their natural state.

I think that the understanding on how to naturalize a waterway in a way that avoids flooding has improved considerably. The part of Shoemaker Creek that was redeveloped last year is considerably wider than it was. The same goes for Montgomery Creek, that was also done last year.

[nms]

Ironic - they were lined with concrete after flooding in their natural state.

I think that the understanding on how to naturalize a waterway in a way that avoids flooding has improved considerably. The part of Shoemaker Creek that was redeveloped last year is considerably wider than it was. The same goes for Montgomery Creek, that was also done last year.

The old way of water management was "get it off the property and on its way as quickly as a possible".  This included burying or channeling creeks to get water moving as quickly as possible.  Unfortunately, this often meant that those downstream suffered from accumulating waterflow that overwhelmed everything.  

As rainfall intensity, duration and frequency (IDF) increased, structures that were built 25+years ago were overwhelmed when "100-year-events" started happening more often ("100-year" simply meant that there was a 1% chance of something happening on a given year. "50-year" meant 2% etc)

The new way is, "keep the water on the property and let it sink in".  This is why newer subdivisions or highway projects have large stormwater ponds inside their total envelope of the project area (eg West Waterloo).

[cherrypark]

Re-naturalized sections of Shoemaker Creek look great. Great to see the city investing in returning these areas to the natural forms.

[Acitta]

Some Kitchener residents worry naturalizing Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek could harm the neighbourhood

Kitchener city staff say Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek project will reduce flood risks

[plam]

Some Kitchener residents worry naturalizing Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek could harm the neighbourhood

Kitchener city staff say Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek project will reduce flood risks

The resident who got quoted didn't really seem to be in tune with expert opinion (and Chapman actually said reasonable things). Alas, expert opinion isn't always correct (highways!). How does one know?

[danbrotherston]

Some Kitchener residents worry naturalizing Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek could harm the neighbourhood

Kitchener city staff say Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek project will reduce flood risks

The resident who got quoted didn't really seem to be in tune with expert opinion (and Chapman actually said reasonable things). Alas, expert opinion isn't always correct (highways!). How does one know?

This is a HUGE problem.

[panamaniac]

The lack of information about what the work will/won't entail seems to be the real source of the problem, not naturalization per se.

[Acitta]

The lack of information about what the work will/won't entail seems to be the real source of the problem, not naturalization per se.

I attended the recent public meeting, though I missed the presentation. I asked one of the staff there about the obvious constraints of the area and was told that what design is used is partially dependent on whether they can negotiate with some property owners along the way to acquire property to expand the width of the creek. Copies of the slides can be seen on the Engage.wr page.

[ijmorlan]

The resident who got quoted didn't really seem to be in tune with expert opinion (and Chapman actually said reasonable things). Alas, expert opinion isn't always correct (highways!). How does one know?

This is a HUGE problem.

I struggle with this myself. As someone who will happily contradict experts, but then turn around and tell creationists (for example) to get with the program.

Sometimes it’s underlying assumptions. For example, I trust a highway engineer to know approximately how many lanes you need for a certain number of vehicles. The disagreement would come when they state that we “need” to build lanes because traffic is coming, and I say instead that we must not build those lanes due to excessive expense. I’m not really disagreeing with their expertise, which doesn’t include how to design a good city to live in or planning for reduced environmental impact. Although I suppose if we replace “highway engineer” with “planner” we really ought to be able to trust that their expertise includes how to design a good city to live in (but clearly it doesn’t, in many cases).

[cherrypark]

I don't think a highway civil engineer's technical competency is necessarily any more in question than the stream naturalization environmental engineer's technical competency. I trust the bridges and curves of the 401 to be designed well, even if I think the macro decisions of whether they are the right mode and infrastructure to build is more open to interpretation. Same for the stream naturalization.

Seems worth having the distinction of expertise in the technical components than the planning and design components, not to mention that codes and aged practices vs. modern practices can make both experts, but the basis of best practice they are drawing from a space for debate.

[plam]

I don't think a highway civil engineer's technical competency is necessarily any more in question than the stream naturalization environmental engineer's technical competency. I trust the bridges and curves of the 401 to be designed well, even if I think the macro decisions of whether they are the right mode and infrastructure to build is more open to interpretation. Same for the stream naturalization.

Seems worth having the distinction of expertise in the technical components than the planning and design components, not to mention that codes and aged practices vs. modern practices can make both experts, but the basis of best practice they are drawing from a space for debate.

I'll buy that. On a similar note, and how the problems are the same everywhere, here's Auckland. https://www.metromag.co.nz/city-life/city-life-transport/cycleway-saboteurs

[Acitta]

Schneider and Shoemaker Creek Naturalization Environmental Assessment

Upcoming Public Information Centre #3
15 Nov 2023
Please join us for the third public information centre about the Schneider Creek Environmental Assessment.

December 12, 2023

5:00 p.m. - 8.00 p.m.

Rockway Golf Course, 625 Rockway Drive, Kitchener

The City of Kitchener invites you to our third public information centre for the Schneider Creek and Shoemaker Creek Environmental Assessment. At this event, you will be able to review concept designs for the preferred solution. We want your feedback on the design alternatives.

These design alternatives are being created using community feedback from the last two Open Houses in 2023. We want to hear from you as we work towards a final design.

Please register for this event here: Registration Form

At this event, we will have available:

Light dinner provided
Free GRT bus or ION passes
Childminding for ages 4-12
All-gender washrooms
Alternate formats, communication supports, and accommodations are also available. If you require an accessible document or support to participate in this event, please let Sarah Anderson know at Sarah.Anderson@kitchener.ca(External link) or 519-741-2200 x4047.

We hope to see you there!

[Acitta]

Work to naturalize two Kitchener creeks, extend Iron Horse Trail could be complete by 2027

A project to reduce flood risk by naturalizing parts of Schneider and Shoemaker creeks will move ahead after Kitchener councillors approved an environmental report this week.

[tomh009]

Happy to see that moving forward!