The Fairmount area in unincorporated Jefferson County suffered from an inadequate storm drainage system composed of poorly defined channels that are blocked by irrigation canals, roads, and railroads. The informal pond in the area, called Swamp Angel, only provided 29 acre-feet of storage at its maximum elevation and functioned, in part, as a retention pond.
 
An underground collection system and a small uncontrolled outlet in Swamp Angel are owned by Mt. Olivet Cemetery and are used to convey groundwater to the cemetery's irrigation ponds. When heavy storms fill Swamp Angel, the Mt. Olivet pipeline surcharges, flooding nearby properties. The poor storm drainage situation created problems for traffic and nearby residences.
 
Preliminary planning recommended increasing the capacity of Swamp Angel to 60 acre-feet. It was initially thought this capacity expansion would be accomplished by building a berm along the east side of the detention pond. Constructing the berm would require removing a portion of the wetlands, mature trees, and the nearby equestrian trail. In addition, a berm would prevent runoff from McIntyre Street from entering the pond, which would cause more water to pond on the road before it would overtop McIntyre Street and flow east.
 
Local neighbors and other community leaders expressed concern about losing the natural character of the area and did not want the area to be dominated by an engineered-looking berm. 
 
Olsson Associates proposed a creative solution that met the drainage needs... READ MORE