Davey Tree Flipbooks

19 January/February 2024 | THE DAVEY BULLETIN Arlington, Virginia's Ballston Pond, built in 1980 as an Interstate 66 stormwater runoff collection point, had filled with sediments and invasive species over the years. Jason Beeler, manager, ecosystem restoration, Wetland Studies and Solutions, Inc., a Davey company (WSSI), worked with Arlington County to manage the pond's seven-acre retrofit construction to attain compliance with the EPA Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System rules. "Initially, this was a normal stormwater pond – a collection site without any engineered ecosystem enhancements. Prior to our project, the pond filled with sediment. We created emergent and forested wetland habitat, with specifically designed wetland areas to help filter pollutants and trap debris before it can clog the outflow structure that was installed to regulate stormwater levels, returning WSSI RESTORES BALLSTON WETLAND PARK, WINS AWARD the facility to function as designed," Beeler said. Bryce Aiken, assistant manager, ecosystem restoration, WSSI, managed the incoming construction materials and their installation to ensure project specifications were met. "The United States Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load, designed to protect water quality, was a big driver of this project, and others like it. Upstream restoration projects help keep nutrient pollutants, which come mainly in the form of sediment, from loading to the Bay," Beeler said. The pond retrofit won a Civil + Structural Engineering Media's 2023 Yearbook of Engineering Achievement Environmental + Sustainability award. According to Civil + Structural Engineering's website, the award recognizes projects that represent the "pinnacle of excellence" in the "AEC" (Architectural, Engineering, Construction) industry. Congratulations, WSSI, Arlington County, and partners! PERSEVERANCE CANADA CLIMATE CHANGE FACT SHEETS NOW AVAILABLE The Davey Institute created a series of fact sheets summarizing the effects of climate change in different territories and regions throughout Canada including the Atlantic Maritime, British Columbia, Canadian Arctic, Ontario, Prairie Provinces, and Quebec regions. The sheets aim to outline the impact climate change may have on the tree care industry over the next 30 to 70 years with an emphasis on changes in temperature, precipitation, storm intensity, tree health, pest pressure, wildfire, and worker stress. In addition to the fact sheets, the Davey Institute's vice president of research and development, Dan Herms, hosted a webinar series to answer questions about the "causes, consequences, and solutions" behind climate change in Eastern and Western Canada, respectively. Scan the QR code or visit www.daveytree.ca/ climate/ to view the fact sheets, webinars and more information. YOU SHOULD KNOW During normal conditions, the water level is just below the top of the concrete structure. The two pipes act as pond levelers, allowing water to flow through them into the structure, preventing beavers from obstructing the flow of water. The Ballston Wetland Park is shown three-quarters of the way through reconstruction. Wetland areas were added to help filter pollutants. The bridge marks where an excavated area designed to slow incoming stormwater runoff, known as a sediment forebay, was later installed to trap sediment before it reaches the pond. Photo credit: Arlington County

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