The City of Ukiah is seeking grant funding to help further develop Riverside Park. The 8.4 acre project will remove old concrete and asphalt debris, improve drainage, support the riparian forest, and create a series of swales and wet meadow areas.
Past land use has degraded the site. The following existing conditions shall be addressed by the project:
- Piles of asphalt and concrete debris currently block flood waters, inhibit plant community restoration, and block visitor sight lines thereby making the park feel unsafe. Debris will be removed and recycled.
- Earthen berms from the City’s old wastewater treatment plant as well as a large excavated gravel pit will be re-graded and re-vegetated with native plants to create varied elevation floodplain wetlands for storm water and floodwater retention, bio-infiltration, groundwater recharge, and native habitat.
- Severely compacted, degraded soils on approximately six acres of upper floodplain terrace will be restored and monitored with a carbon sequestration plan. The project will implement soil restoration to improve soil moisture retention and microbial balance and provide the essential foundation for restoring the site’s plant communities. This portion of the project will also focus on expanding the edge of the riparian forest and restoring site grasslands.
- An existing outfall of the City’s storm drain system will be relocated and improved with fore-bay systems to capture sediment and other pollutants. It will also be tied into the floodplain wetland complex for further bio-infiltration and to provide more consistent seasonal flows to the wetland areas.
Have comments about the project? We’d love to hear from you!
