Roger Williams Park
This historic park in southeastern Providence contains approximately 435 acres of landscaped areas, including the Roger Williams Park Zoo. The Park includes a seven-lake complex, which comprises approximately 100 acres. As is often the case with urban parks, runoff from densely developed areas drains into the ponds and severely degrades water quality. To complicate matters, more intense storms and frequent flooding are resulting from climate change. We developed a water quality management plan, which will improve the water quality and biodiversity conditions of the ponds. The project identifies and prioritizes green infrastructure locations throughout the park. In addition, we led a public engagement process to solicit input on the proposed restoration measures at key moments in the project. Following input from the public and the 20+-member steering committee, we designed, permitted, and oversaw the construction administration services of the top 5 selected practices.
CLIENT: Providence Department of Public Parks
PROBLEM: Poor water quality, frequent algae blooms
SOLUTION: Water quality management plan – designed and permitted five green infrastructure practices
BENEFITS: Improvements to water quality, shoreline buffers, and biodiversity
