2018 Archive : Mountain Creek Shoreline Restoration

Project Details

Fabric 1

OTHER - SCOURLOK Shoreline Defense System
Producer: Propex Geosynthetics
Supplier: Propex Geosynthetics

Engineer Company 1
Chattanooga Engineering Group

Design Company
Propex GeoSolutions

Fabrication Company
Propex GeoSolutions

Project Manager Company
Propex GeoSolutions

Installation Company
Wright Brothers Construction

Please describe the project specifications

A severely eroded section of Mountain Creek in Chattanooga, TN was jeopardizing the structural stability and safety of Red Bank Elementary School’s access road and outdoor nature classroom. To restore the stream bank and stabilize the eroded slope above it, a 105-foot section of the steam needed an engineered and sustainable solution.

To restore the stream bank, stabilize it to resist future erosion, and provide a sustainable solution, a combination of SCOURLOK® and ARMORMAX® Engineered Earth Armoring Solutions™ was used. SCOURLOK is a new vegetated shoreline defense system developed by Propex. It is designed to resist extreme hydraulic stresses to help protect stream banks, shorelines and other similar applications while promoting vegetation in lieu of hard armor. Additionally, it provides water quality benefits including pollutant and nutrient removal. ARMORMAX was used to stabilize the slope above the stream bank to prevent erosion from larger flood events. This system combines geotextiles, a high-performance turf reinforcement mat, with engineered earth anchors to provide additional surficial slope stability.

What was the purpose of this project? What did the client request?

Mountain Creek flows through the community of Red Bank, TN to the Tennessee River. It has been identified by the Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (TDEC) as a 303(d) listed stream, meaning that its pollution exceeds the State’s standards for one or more water quality criteria. Habitat alteration and sediment have been identified as the main pollutants and are due in part to channel erosion caused by urban development and increased stormwater runoff. Previous studies conducted on the Mountain Creek watershed have indicated that erosion of the Mountain Creek stream channel is estimated to be between 66-81%. The purpose of the project was to reinforce the creek bank, stabilize the slope leading from the school’s access road to the creek, improve water quality in the watershed and protect the school’s outdoor nature classroom.

What is unique or complex about the project?

This restoration project was spearheaded by TenneSEA (Student Environmental Alliance), a Chattanooga organization that collaborates with communities to teach children about their connection to nature. TenneSEA reached out to local Red Bank Elementary alumni who are involved in floodplain management, stormwater and the erosion prevention and sediment control (EPSC) industry. A collaborative team of local businesses, non-profit organizations, school, and government agencies donated their time and resources to tackle the project.
Students at Red Bank Elementary also played a part by participating in the “Stream Team”. The program teaches students about the natural world around them by using real-world problems while determining sustainable solutions. Students learned about watersheds, flooding, EPSC, water quality and were included in the engineering design and construction oversight.

What were the results of the project?

Construction began in early December 2017 and was completed in January 2018. One hundred and five feet of stream bank and the above slope were successfully restored and stabilized, protecting Red Bank’s access road, preventing additional sediment from being deposited in an impaired watershed and most importantly providing a safe outdoor nature classroom where students can continue to take part in restoration efforts of the Mountain Creek watershed.

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