As a tributary to the James River, Blackwater Creek winds its way through the heart of Lynchburg Virginia. Like many of the streams that make their way through mountains and foothills, natural erosion of the streambank is part of life. Add the influence of urban living and increased flood events and erosion can be destructive. Within cities and villages, waterways like Blackwater Creek are crossed by a number of pipelines, sewers and other infrastructure. Preservation and stabilization of banks in these areas are critical. Access is always a challenge and the need for a solution that will last a lifetime is critical. Brandon Alderman and his team at AECOM worked with the City of Lynchburg and Envirolok to develop a fully vegetative solution that provides streambank restoration and infrastructure protection. The low impact solution allowed the project team to reuse toe stone to prevent scouring. Due to the shallow bedrock in the stream, the engineering team integrated a geogrid reinforced wrap to prevent slipping and movement. Additional geogrid and earth anchoring systems were installed along the 15'+ banks. Multiple floods made construction challenging, but the installation has continues to strengthen as the vegetation grows. Great Job Brandon, Emily and the entire AECOM team!
"The vegetation is coming in great and the live stakes are thriving. I am so proud of our team and so glad to be able to complete a project that doesn't use riprap or other impervious hard armoring! Thanks again to City of Lynchburg and Eric Seidl at Envirolok for the support along the way! #greeninfrastructure#streamrestoration#greensolutions" - Brandon Alderman