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<br />tIt <br /> <br />Can Bioengineering Drainage Projects Work in Semi-Arid Environments? <br />By <br />Cindy L. Thrush, Urban Drainage & Flood Control District <br />David Bennetts, Urban Drainage & Flood Control District <br />1999 CASFM Conference, September 22-24,1999 <br /> <br />ABSTRACT <br /> <br />The latest cheer among many drainage professionals around the Country seems <br />to be, "roots not rip-rap", "roots, not rip-rap". But what happens when you don't <br />get enough moisture above the ordinary high water line to get those willow <br />stakes to sprout? How well do bioengineering techniques really work in dry <br />environments? What is more challenging for implementation, technical or <br />institutional constraints? This presentation addresses these questions and then <br />presents two case studies where bioengineering techniques were used. In <br />keeping with the conference theme, Looking Back, Looking Ahead, one case <br />study is from a 1987 project by the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District, <br />and one is from a 1999 project by Arapahoe County and the Urban Drainage and <br />Flood Control District. <br /> <br />tit <br /> <br />The District has always been interested in finding new and alternative <br />approaches for addressing channel erosion and bank protection. The traditional <br />approach of riprap and concrete, although effective, does not fit well into the <br />natural surroundings of many of our project locations. In 1987, the District <br />constructed a demonstration project on Clear Creek to try out the effectiveness of <br />bioengineering in addressing bank erosion. We will review the various types of <br />bioengineering used, discuss which were successful and which were not, and <br />offer ideas on which techniques may be applicable to typical drainage problems <br />you may encounter. <br /> <br />Cindy L. Thrush, P.E. <br />Project Engineer <br />Urban Draina~e & Flood Control District <br />2480 West 26 Avenue, Suite 156-B <br />Denver, CO 80211 <br />Phone (303) 455-6277 <br />Fax (303) 455-7880 <br />cthrush@udfcd.org <br /> <br />tit <br /> <br />David Bennetts <br />Project Engineer <br />Urban Draina~e & Flood Control District <br />2480 West 26 h Avenue, Suite 156-B <br />Denver, CO 80211 <br />Phone (303) 455-6277 <br />Fax (303) 455-7880 <br />bennetts@udfcd.org <br />