Construction has been completed on the second phase of stream restoration at Springbrook Gardens Park in Mentor to stabilize 650 linear feet of streambank and revegetate one acre of floodplain with native species.
In 2020, the City of Mentor partnered with Chagrin River Watershed Partners and Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District to obtain a $258,450 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Section 319(h) grant to reestablish ecological function to the channelized stretch of stream at Mentor Springbrook Gardens Park, which flows east to west from Heisley Road, by adding sinuosity and improving floodplain connectivity. Prior to restoration, the stream flowed through the property as a steep banked, channelized ditch which led to high-velocity flows, water quality degradation, and a lack of habitat on the project site. Completed in 2022, the design-build team utilized bioengineering methods to restore 650 linear feet of streambank and revegetate one acre of floodplain with native species. A floodplain bench was excavated along the stream and a new channel alignment added sinuosity to slow down and soak up water during high flow events. An engineered streambed mix, along with instream structures, were utilized to stabilize the channel with its new, sinuous path. Streambanks were graded to a gradual slope and planted with native vegetation to decrease erosion and sedimentation and increase habitat.
This project was financed in part or totally through a grant from the State of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, under the provisions of Section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act.