Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Town of Wolcott will be undertaking Floodplain Restoration on 3.7 acres of land along North Wolcott Road, currently used as town recreation fields. North Wolcott Road frequently floods near this river/road conflict area along the Wild Branch. During the Halloween flood of 2019, North Wolcott Road and the Town Recreation Fields experienced significant fluvial erosion. This area is a key location identified for streambank restoration in the 2020 Wolcott Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. This project expands upon previous hydraulic modeling efforts along the Wild Branch. Recent modeling and stream channel restoration 2.5 miles downstream has demonstrated that this work is critical to floodplain function and management. Floodplain Modeling has identified that smaller sites like near the Town Recreation Fields can result in multiple benefits (flood hazard mitigation, storm water mitigation, nutrient retention, reduction in runoff velocity). Floodplain restoration has shown to be an effective tool for attenuating phosphorous and other nutrients. The final design work will quantify nutrient and sediment reduction for floodplain restoration scenarios at this site. This project involves removing a gravel parking lot and revegetating the area with thick, woody vegetation. The parking lot will be relocated to a safer location south of the recreation fields on the Town owned parcel. The addition of a vegetated “flood bench” will act as a floodplain and convey floodwaters in large storms.
