Progress 09/15/02 to 09/14/06
Outputs
The North Creek Outdoor Field Laboratory has become a focus of NC State University Centennial Campus, a growing research and advanced technology community of university, corporate and government RD facilities. The North Creek corridor is transforming from a stream overgrown with invasive vegetation such as kudzu, privet, Japanese honeysuckle, and microstegium to a stream corridor with ecological diversity, including native giant cane (Arundinasia gigantean), warm season grasses, as well as numerous native shrubs and trees. One result is a decrease in the mosquito larva in North Creek, as well as a increased diversity of birds. This Field Laboratory is used extensively to educate youth, policy makers, and the public and campus community about protecting and improving surface water quality, riparian corridor health, storm water runoff control, and watershed management. An outdoor field laboratory was established to demonstrate how current and future development can be
done in concert with watershed protection and water quality improvements. The two stormwater wetlands installed in the fall of 2004 continued to be monitored. Both wetlands functioned to reduce nutrients loads and concentrations. Some recovery of the aquatic insect population has been observed in the wetlands. The fourth round of chemical control using selective herbicides for the removal of exotic species occurred in the summer of 2006. To date, biological (goats) and chemical kudzu control are continuing to be equally effective. Revegetation with the preserved native species is on going. Stream enhancement/restoration has been accomplished on sections of the Creek. An upland hardwood forest adjacent to the wetlands and stream restoration is growing to enhance the habitat diversity in the study area. The North Creek Outdoor Field study area has enabled expansion and projects in several undergraduate and graduate classes. Student projects were performed in various courses: GIS,
watershed monitoring, wetland hydrology, watershed hydrology, storm water control and stream restoration. The stream restoration and stormwater treatment aspects were a focus of 2 PhD research and 1 MS research studies. The NC Wildlife Resource Commission staff has been coordinating with NCSU and has set up programs that utilize this study area for their youth programs on environmental and watershed management. In addition to the numerous faculty and student contributions, the Facilities and Landscape departments of the University have increased their commitment to learn and share knowledge and funds for improved riparian area management, storm water management, and native landscaping. Our invasive plant control workshop series was extremely popular. A new greenway has been cited (additional funding has been secured to ensure its completion by May 2007) that will bring people to the North Creek Corridor, provide additional educational signage, and connect to the adjacent City's
greenway system.
Impacts
The role of riparian vegetation, stormwater control and treatment and stream restoration are all essential to corridor restoration of an unstable system. This USDA project offered the opportunity to utilize proven and innovative stormwater and stream enhancement techniques to improve the quality and habitat of the North Creek riparian corridor while using the site as an outdoor teaching facility. Numerous undergraduate and graduate courses utilize this field laboratory, as well as youth programs such as with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. This USDA project has facilitated the integrated partnerships between private partners, as well as the academic and facility arms of the University to increase their collaboration for watershed protection efforts. To illustrate: the Master Plan for Centennial Campus has a new guiding principle added as a direct result of the increased appreciation of the North Creek corridor efforts: Centennial Campus will serve as a living
laboratory and learning community. The efforts of this USDA project have been the direct stimulus for additional efforts on campus and in the community to control invasive plants, increase native vegetation, treat stormwater near the source with innovative technologies, improve and protect riparian corridors, as well as bring a new set of private and public partners to the table. This USDA-CSREES project was a success for integrating research, teaching, and Extension with benefits that will last well beyond this project's funding.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/04 to 09/30/05
Outputs
North Creek is severely degraded due to straightening and downcutting, has lost connectivity with its historic floodplain, and was overburdened by invasive vegetation such as kudzu and Japanese Honeysuckle. North Creek is a focus of NC State University Centennial Campus, a growing research and advanced technology community of university, corporate and government RD facilities. The project is an opportunity to educate youth, policy makers, and the public and campus community about protecting and improving surface water quality, riparian corridor health, storm water runoff control, and watershed management. The objectives include the establishment of an outdoor field study area to demonstrate how current and future development can be done in concert with watershed protection and water quality improvements. The two stormwater wetlands installed in the fall of 2004 continued to be monitored. The utilization of PAM to stabilize the initial wetland construction and topsoil
within the wetland was evaluated in one of the wetlands. The PAM dramatically decreased the turbidity and sediment leaving the newly constructed wetlands and enabled the NC state standard of 50 NTU to be met immediately upon completion. Both wetlands functioned to reduce nutrients loads and concentrations after 2 months. However, the wetland without PAM had net TP and NH4 increases during the first 2 month wetland establishment period. Some recovery of the aquatic insect population has been observed in the wetlands. The third round of chemical control using selective herbicides for the removal of exotic species occurred in the summer of 2005. To date, biological and chemical kudzu control are continuing to be equally effective. Revegetation with the preserved native species is on going. The conceptual plans for the stream restoration utilizing natural channel design have been developed and approved by numerous campus committees. An upland hardwood forest adjacent to the wetlands and
stream restoration is being created to enhance the habitat diversity in the study area. Streambank erosion rates and water quality measurements continue to demonstrate the impact of the urban development. The stream restoration design has been refined by the monitoring data collected and to accommodate the urban constraints in the corridor. The North Creek outdoor field study area has enabled expansion and projects in several undergraduate and graduate classes. Student projects were performed in various courses: GIS, watershed monitoring, wetland hydrology, watershed hydrology, and stream restoration. The stream restoration and stormwater treatment aspects was a focus of a PhD research and an on going MS research The NC Wildlife Resource Commission staff has been coordinating with NCSU to set up programs that will utilize this study area for their youth programs on environmental and watershed management. In addition to the numerous faculty and student contributions, the facilities arm
of the University has increased commitment to learn and share knowledge and funds for improved riparian area management, storm water management, and landscaping.
Impacts
The role of riparian vegetation, stormwater control and treatment and stream restoration are all essential to corridor restoration of an unstable system. This USDA project offers the opportunity to utilize proven and innovative techniques to improve the quality and habitat of the North Creek riparian corridor while using site as an outdoor teaching facility. Numerous undergraduate and graduate courses plan to utilize this field laboratory, as well as youth programs such as 4H.
Publications
- Carter, M.D. 1995. Stream Assessment and Constructed Stormwater Wetland Research in the North Creek Watershed. PhD Dissertation, NC State University. 507p.
- Laffitte, L.B. 1995. NPS Reduction as a Test Case for Qualifying Sustainable Development, A comparison of Rocky Branch, House Creek and North Creek on NCSUs Campus. 13th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Conference, Raleigh, NC.
- Carter, M.D., J. Spooner, and R. Evans. 1995. Measuring Suspended Sediment Dynamics in an Urban Stream with Progressive Watershed Development. 13th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Conference, Raleigh, NC.
- Carter, M.D., J. Spooner, and R. Evans. 1995. Channel Erosion Measurements in a Small Urban Stream During Watershed Development. AWRA Conference< Seattle, WA, November.
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
Two stormwater wetlands were installed in the fall of 2004. In addition the greenway location was selected and site plans completed. The utilization of PAM to stabilize the initial wetland construction and topsoil within the wetland was evaluated in one of the wetlands. The PAM dramatically decreased the turbidity and sediment leaving the newly constructed wetlands and enabled the NC state standard of 50 NTU to be met immediately upon completion. Some recovery of the aquatic insect population has been observed in the wetlands. The second round of biological controls using goats and chemical control using selective herbicides for the removal of exotic species occurred in the summer of 2004. To date, biological and chemical kudzu control are continuing to be equally effective. Revegetation with the preserved native species is on-going. The conceptual plans for the stream restoration utilizing natural channel design have been developed and approved by numerous campus
committees. An upland hardwood forest adjacent to the wetlands and stream restoration is being created to enhance the habitat diversity in the study area. Streambank erosion rates and water quality measurements continue to demonstrate the impact of the urban development. The stream restoration design has been refined by the monitoring data collected and to accommodate the urban constraints in the corridor. The North Creek outdoor field study area has enabled expansion and projects in several undergraduate and graduate classes. Two teams of senior design projects in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering utilized the study area to perform stream assessments, design a stream restoration, and design an innovated stormwater outfall system. Student projects were also performed in various courses: GIS, watershed monitoring, wetland hydrology, watershed hydrology, and stream restoration. The stream restoration and stormwater treatment aspects are the focus of a PhD
students research. The NC Wildlife Resource Commission staff has been coordinating with NCSU to set up programs that will utilize this study area for their youth programs on environmental and watershed management. In addition to the numerous faculty and student contributions, the facilities arm of the University has increased commitment to learn and share knowledge and funds for improved riparian area management, storm water management, and landscaping.
Impacts
The role of riparian vegetation, stormwater control and treatment and stream restoration are all essential to corridor restoration of an unstable system. This USDA project offers the opportunity to utilize proven and innovative techniques to improve the quality and habitat of the North Creek riparian corridor while using site as an outdoor teaching facility. Numerous undergraduate and graduate courses plan to utilize this field laboratory, as well as youth programs such as 4-H.
Publications
- Kids Eat Campus Kudzu: NCSU Tries new way to banish vine. News and Observer: October 6, 2003, p1,3B (article about utilizing goats to control kudzu in the NCSU North Creek Outdoor Field Laboratory).
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Progress 10/01/02 to 09/30/03
Outputs
North Creek is severely degraded due to straightening and downcutting, has lost connectivity with it's historic floodplain, and is overburdened by invasive vegetation such as kudzu and Japanese Honeysuckle. North Creek is a focus of NC State University's Centennial Campus, a growing research and advanced technology community of university, corporate and government R&D facilities. The project is an opportunity to educate youth, policy makers, and the public and campus community about protecting and improving surface water quality, riparian corridor health, storm water runoff control, and watershed management. The objectives include the establishment of an outdoor field study area to demonstrate how current and future development can be done in concert with watershed protection and water quality improvements. Restoration of sections of the degraded stream and its associated wetlands and riparian area are being done to reduce downstream flooding and pollutant movement,
and improve aquatic and wildlife habitat. The first round of biological controls using goats and chemical control using selective herbicides for the removal of exotic species occurred in the summer of 2003. To date, Biological and chemical kudzu control are equally effective. Revegetation with the protected native species to begin restoring the riparian area has begun. The conceptual plans for the stream restoration utilizing natural channel design have been developed and approved by numerous campus committees. Wetlands have been designed and scheduled for installation in Spring'2004. Planned greenways are being integrated into the stream corridor restoration. Numerous University graduate and undergraduate course projects, as well as youth projects are being utilized to inspire fresh approaches and as educational tools. In addition to the numerous faculty and student contributions, the facilities arm of the University has increased commitment to learn and share knowledge and funds for
improved riparian area management, storm water management, and landscaping. The NC Wildlife Resource Commission will utilize the corridor in it's youth programs on environmental and watershed management. The NC Wildlife Resource Commission's Administrative and Educational Headquarters expects to complete it's new building next to the North Creek Stream corridor in 2004. Streambank erosion rates and water quality measurements have been taken. Prior to restoration, the BEHI assessment index measurements rated the stream as extreme bank erosion potential with little or no vegetation cover. In some cases, the streambank erosion has been documented through cross-sectional surveys at over 10 lateral feet annually. Suspended sediment exceeds 1000 mg/l during large storms. Elevated concentrations of Zinc, valadium (common from tires) and titanium, chromium and other metals from brake lines, as well as elevated levels of lead, copper and nickel were measured. Polycyric aromatic hydrocarbons
(PAH) concentrations are moderate, exceeding concentration that cause acute aquatic toxicity in the presence of sunlight. The dominant aquatic species are mosquitoes.
Impacts
The role of riparian vegetation, stormwater control and treatment and stream restoration are all essential to corridor restoration of an unstable system. This USDA project offers the opportunity to utilize proven and innovative techniques to improve the quality and habitat of the North Creek riparian corridor while using site as an outdoor teaching facility. Numerous undergraduate and graduate courses plan to utilize this field laboratory, as well as youth programs such as 4-H.
Publications
- (abstract and presentation) "NCSU Centennial Campus Outdoor Field Laboratory: Demonstrating Stream Restoration Using Natural Channel Design, Stormwater Management, and Exotic Species Control in a Rapidly Developing Watershed" Presented UDDA National Water Quality Conference: Integrating Research, Extension and Education, Clearwater, FL January 11-14, 2004.
- " Centennial Campus Goats Act as Friendly Bioagents" Perspectives: The Magazine of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, NCSU. Fall 2003. p. 28
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Progress 10/01/01 to 09/30/02
Outputs
The project started 9/15/2002. From project initiation to 9/30/02, a steering committee composed of NCSU faculty and NCSU staff from Facilities & Planning was formed and held a kick-off meeting at which the project goals were confirmed and roles and responsibilites were outlined. A schedule was developed for the stream restoration component to complement the revised project start date, graduate student studies that will evaluate water quality improvements from baseline assessment, and plant growing seasons. Exotic species control is planned for June'03 and the stream restoration is planned for December'03 of January'04. The restoration is expected to take 6 weeks and we like it to be completed by April 30, 2004. Several undergraduate and graduate classes are incorporating and plan to incorportate the activities in the North Creek corridor for special studies - e.g., utilizing the Outdoor Field Laboratory. These classes project will include: GIS, watershed assessment,
wetlands, parks and recreation, storm water, stream restoration.
Impacts
Multiple undergraduate and graduate courses will be facilitated with the use of class projects in the North Creek Outdoor Field Laboratory. The challanges of improving a degraded corridor in an urban corridor will serve as an ideal educational tool for NC and nationwide.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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