www.coastaldynamicsdesignlab.com
Design
2017 COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB GREENSBORO URBAN RESERVOIRS STUDY This study was funded by the Coastal Dynamics Design Lab Excellence Fund and completed in collaboration with faculty and students from NC State’s Department of Landscape Architecture; Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering; and Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences.
NC State University College of Design Campus Box 7701 Raleigh, NC 27695 design.ncsu.edu
Š2017 All Rights Reserved An NC State University College of Design Publication
Professor Andrew Fox, PLA, ASLA
Graduate Assistants Corey Dodd, Stephanie Heimstead, Jingjing Liu, and Lindsey Naylor
Unless stated otherwise, all photographs are by the publication team.
Printed in the USA
COLLEGE OF DESIGN NC State University’s College of Design teaches design thinking in an interdisciplinary environment that makes sense of the world for the benefit of the public. The college integrates practical, ethical, and aesthetic thought and action to enhance the meaning and quality of life through the creation of knowledge informing the critical study of artifacts and places. The college gathers creative minds from around the world whose interests and expertise span a variety of disciplines. This inspiring and elite group of faculty prepare designers to go out and shape the world. Now more than ever, design plays a major role in the development of everything from branding to product development and even business practices and procedures. Good design is necessary. The size and shape of mobile devices; the animation we see on the big screen; the materials used in the buildings we enter—design touches everything around us. In response to an ever-expanding global interest in all disciplines of design, the college’s curriculum is customized to incorporate relevant practices that prepare students for a career in design. Effective design requires attention and sensitivity to the social, economic, political, cultural, and behavioral understanding of the environment and people. Each program within the College of Design is intended to develop the designer’s perception, knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities to develop design solutions for public interest and to serve the needs of users. The College of Design offers comprehensive undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture, art + design, graphic design, industrial design, and a graduate degree in landscape architecture. In addition, the College offers a Ph.D. in Design. A selective admissions process ensures a highly motivated and diverse design community. This unique interdisciplinary learning environment ensures that students learn to collaborate with others and see things from new and diverse perspectives.
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COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB The mission of the Coastal Dynamics Design Lab (CDDL) is to organize and lead transdisciplinary research and design teams to address critical ecological and community development challenges in vulnerable coastal regions, with a concentrated focus on the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. Too often, coastal research and design are fragmented into discrete scientific, academic, and professional disciplines. The CDDL seeks to transform this compartmentalized approach by coupling designers—architects, landscape architects, graphic designers, and engineers—with scientists and local stakeholders, to create innovative, sustainable, adaptable, and resilient design solutions that address the environmental and human needs of coastal communities. Coastal environments along the U.S. Eastern Seaboard are vulnerable to challenges from long-term sea-level variations and the more acute forces of powerful Atlantic storms. The collaborative project teams at the CDDL seek greater understanding of these dynamic natural forces and human-made environments that shape coastal regions. The CDDL operates within the NC State University College of Design and has formed strategic partnerships with experts in the College of Engineering, the College of Natural Resources, and the UNC Coastal Studies Institute. Additional collaborators include planning experts from the East Carolina University Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment, the University of North Carolina Coastal Hazards Center, and numerous professional design firms.
COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
Andrew Fox | Co-Director: Coastal Dynamics Design Lab Associate Professor + University Faculty Scholar Department of Landscape Architecture
COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
David Hill | Co-Director: Coastal Dynamics Design Lab Professor + University Faculty Scholar + Department Head School of Architecture
DEPARTMENT OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE Landscape Architecture at NC State has a rich legacy and reputation built on preparing graduates for the rigors of professional practice, leadership, community engagement, and research. Graduates are employed in consulting firms; municipal, state, and federal agencies; universities; land trusts; and new enterprises, engaged in the ever broadening range of activities that embody landscape architecture. The mission of the program is to teach, learn, research, and apply state-of-theart practices that create innovative and resilient solutions for landscape situations focused on human and ecosystem health, social equity, and quality of life. The program emphasizes evidence-based inquiry and design-thinking strategies that position students and graduates to engage with and propel the landscape architecture profession into the future as it evolves in response to environmental and societal imperatives.
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE The School of Architecture at NC State, from its inception, has been a force for globally informed innovation in design. The intent of the school is to lead the search for new ways an architectural education can be a strong, positive force in the creation of healthy and sustainable buildings and communities. Students and faculty are developing the knowledge and skills to address complex contemporary issues regarding: + stewardship of scarce resources + promotion of livability in cities + mitigation of poverty through provision of humane housing + understanding history as a means of creating a better future + research and development of ecologically responsive building materials and integrated building systems Every day in studios and in seminars, students and faculty are pushing the boundaries of design. The school seeks to know what it means to be an effective, responsible architect in the context of the contemporary world, and intend for the school’s collective body of work to pave this path.
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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL, CONSTRUCTION, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING The NC State Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering offers undergraduate degrees in civil engineering, construction engineering, and environmental engineering. It also offers graduate programs in computing and systems, construction engineering, environmental water resources and coastal engineering, mechanics and materials, structural engineering and mechanics, transportation systems and materials, and geotechnical/ geoenvironmental engineering. The mission of the department is to provide: + high-quality undergraduate programs that continually incorporate advances in civil, construction, and environmental engineering technology + post-baccalaureate educational programs to satisfy the increasing need for highly educated engineers in various specialty areas of civil, construction, and environmental engineering + research activities consistent with the responsibilities of a research institution to develop new technology for the solution of emerging problems and to support programs of graduate education + extension and public-service activities through the development of professional technical assistance and continuing-education programs
CIVIL ENGINEERING
Dr. Tarek Aziz Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Advising Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Dr. Detlef Knappe Professor Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
DEPARTMENT OF MARINE, EARTH, AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Earth is a dynamic place. So are the faculty researchers and students in the NC State Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences. The department studies the planet across the geologic, marine, and atmospheric systems that shape the way we live. Faculty researchers and students work together to investigate the fundamental forces of nature. Department research engages with real issues and challenges: the threat of severe weather, the profound effects of subtle changes underwater, the dangers of air pollution, and the power of big data to enhance our understanding of natural processes. Intense curiosity drives the department’s researchers, but they don’t work solely to gain new knowledge. Their studies serve the greater good, and they are at the public’s disposal through an outreach network that touches people of all ages, all over North Carolina. The department’s location ideally positions students to apply what they learn outside the classroom. NC State is home to Centennial Campus, where more than 70 government, industry, and academic partners—including the State Climate Office—work with the department’s students and faculty. The location also puts students in close proximity to the North Carolina mountains and coast—ideal locations to observe marine and earth systems at work.
HYDROGEOLOGY
Dr. David Genereux Professor Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
MARINE BIOLOGY
Dr. Astrid Schnetzer Associate Professor Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
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INTRODUCTION
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APPROACH This book presents an interdisciplinary analysis of two privately owned reservoirs within the city limits of Greensboro, and it applies that analysis to the creation of stewardship and programming recommendations aimed at achieving the highest and best use of these complex community assets. Best practices in design, planning, and research informed analysis of the reservoirs. Whether exploring the promise of photochemical pathways in destroying harmful contaminants, the positive impact of a natural retreat on human health and wellbeing, or the role of the reservoirs as way stations along the Atlantic Flyway, the interdisciplinary team considered the significance of the waterbodies within human and ecological systems at multiple scales. Faculty and students from the Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences collected and analyzed water samples to assess reservoir health as it relates to algal biomass and cyanotoxins. Faculty and students from the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering used temperature sensors, water quality sensors, water samples and groundwater samples to explore lake mixing structure, the role of photochemical pathways in wetlands, and the movement of contaminants within the reservoirs and surrounding streams and groundwater. Faculty and students from the College of Design generated maps, compiled case studies, and reviewed existing environmental and planning reports to situate the reservoirs within their social, physical, and ecological contexts. The Coastal Dynamics Design Lab, housed in the College of Design, led the effort to synthesize the groups’ findings and to craft recommendations that capture the potential of the reservoir sites to contribute to water quality and to broader community, ecological, and human health.
CONSERVATION ETHIC Analysis of the reservoirs and their surroundings suggests that the highest and best use of these sites lies in the pursuit of conservation easements. Conservation easements allow landowners to set aside all or part of their land for the long-term public good. Through a protective easement and in exchange for federal, state, and local tax benefits, a landowner can help to protect open space, wildlife habitat, and water quality. To establish a conservation easement, a property owner must make a case for the easement’s purpose, or the ways in which the site’s conservation would contribute to the long-term public good. Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake are uniquely positioned to offer significant public benefit in the realms of education, recreation, and research.
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THE RESERVOIRS
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THE RESEVOIRS Like all the “lakes” within the North Carolina Piedmont, Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake are human constructions. Lake Jeanette was built in 1942 to meet the water needs of Cone Mills. Water was pumped from Jeanette to Buffalo, from Buffalo to the water treatment plant across the street, and from the plant to the mills. The infrastructure of pumps and pipes remain, now surrounded by the water, waste, and transportation infrastructure constructed in the following decades to support the commercial and residential growth of Greensboro. Jeanette and Buffalo, built at what was once considered the edge of town, are now in the midst of dense human development — development that is sure to intensify with the planned construction of I-840 and a vehicular interchange between the two waterbodies. As Greensboro’s development has surrounded the reservoirs, their protected buffers have become a place of respite and habitat for humans and wildlife. The manufactured reservoirs and their protected edges offer a rare natural retreat within a growing city.
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SITE / SYSTEM SCALES
LAKE BR
CITY OF GREENSBORO
JO SE P
M
H
GUILFORD COUNTY
.B RY AN
B OU LE
R VA
NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTHEASTERN U.S.
LAKE TOWNSEND
RANDT FUTURE I-840
U.S .
29
LAKE JEANETTE 361 ACRES
BUFFALO & PHILADELPHIA LAKES 105 ACRES
RD
SCALES + SITE MAP Today the significance of Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake reaches far beyond Cone Mill and the nearby homeowner’s associations. The reservoirs and their buffers provide habitat for diverse species and help to protect the quality of local drinking water. They belong to water and habitat systems that extend the length of the Eastern seaboard. And they have the potential to act as critical additions to Greensboro’s existing network of trails and educational programs. The rest of this book will explore how these reservoirs fit into human and ecological systems at different scales, and how the conservation of these properties could offer varied and long-term benefits to the Greensboro community. ***EXPAND TO FILL***
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5
4
3
1 2
6
EXISTING DOCKS, PIERS & PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES
1
2
3
4
5
6
EXISTING AMENITIES & INFRASTRUCTURE In the 1980s, Cone Mills established Cornwallis Development Company to oversee residential construction on its properties surrounding Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake. Hundreds of homes were built during this time, and today the reservoirs are surrounded by more than a dozen residential communities. Cone Mills — later International Textile Group — began in the 1980s to lease the reservoirs and their buffers to surrounding homeowner’s associations, establishing an agreement whereby residents could have limited recreational access to the lakes in exchange for maintenance and supervision of the lakes and their buffers, which have become part of the identity and the appeal of the surrounding neighborhoods. With the exception of a handful of pedestrian bridges, the existing assets on and arround the lakes are privately controlled, and access to the docks is fee-based. These assets have been shielded from the general public ever since the inception of the residential developments that surround the lakes. This study aims to explore the possibilities associated with implementing conservation principles and enhanced public access, while also respecting the private essence that has long supported the adjacent communities. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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CAPTURING VALUE
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CAPTURING VALUE When a landowner donates a conservation easement, he or she is able to deduct the fair market value of the property, up to 50% of his or her income for the year of the donation and for each of an additional 15 years. The U.S. Congress enacted this permanent conservation easement tax incentive in 2015 as a tool to encourage landowners to preserve their special properties for the long-term public good. This section of the book seeks to help the private owners of Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake envision the economic gains they could realize through the donation of a conservation easement for the reservoirs. Determining the fair market value of the lakes and their buffers is a challenge — they are not part of the conventional real estate market. In order to make this determiantion, a methodology was developed that is to provide aide in formulating the monetary values of these unique properties.
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LAKE JEANETTE
BUFFALO & PHILADELPHIA LAKES
LEGEND WATER ADJACENT PARCEL
TOTAL ESTIMATED VALUES:
SCENARIO 1: $86,190,000
SCENARIO 2: $104,320,000
SCENARIO 3: $158,710,000
LAND JEANETTE
SCENARIO 1-3
BUFFALO
SCENARIO 1-3
40 acres of water’s-edge buffer
2 acres of water’s-edge buffer
x
x
$1,350,000 per acre
=
$1,350,000 per acre $54,000,000
=
$2,700,000
TREES JEANETTE 2,340 trees
BUFFALO SCENARIO 1
x $16,380,000
4,680 trees
SCENARIO 1
x
$7,000 per tree
=
250 trees
SCENARIO 2
$7,000 per tree
=
$1,750,000
500 trees
SCENARIO 2
x
x
$7,000 per tree
$7,000 per tree
=
$32,760,000
11,700 trees
SCENARIO 3
=
$8,750,000
1,250 trees
SCENARIO 3
x
x
$7,000 per tree
$7,000 per tree
=
$81,900,000
=
$8,750,000
BUFFALO
SCENARIO 1-3
DOCKS JEANETTE
SCENARIO 1-3
234 adjacent lots
50 adjacent lots
x
x
$40,000 per-lot docking rights $9,360,000 =
$40,000 per-lot docking rights $2,000,000 =
FAIR MARKET VALUE FOR JEANETTE + BUFFALO The above approach uses three methods for estimating the fair market value of the reservoirs and their buffers. First, it uses the area’s average per-acre land value to estimate the value of the buffer land itself. Then it uses a conservative estimate of the value of individual trees — based on penalties for removing trees within the Jeanette buffer — to estimate the value of the existing trees within the buffer land. Each of the three scenarios represents a different assumption about the number of buffer trees adjacent to each surrounding lot. Scenario 1 assumes 10 trees per Jeanette lot adjacency, for example, and 5 trees per Buffalo lot adjacency. Finally, the above approach estimates the value of per-lot docking rights, estimated conservatively at $40,000 per lot. The total values, at the top of the page, represent a range of potential fair market values for the Jeanette and Buffalo reservoirs and their buffers. ***EXPAND TO FILL***
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CONSERVATION FOCUS
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CONSERVATION FOCUS At the time of their construction, Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake were on the edge of town. Today they are in the heart of it. Jeanette is ringed by residential neighborhoods and a public park, and Buffalo by neighborhoods, businesses, a restaurant, and two public schools. Both are within easy biking distance of downtown Greensboro, multiple existing trail systems, and the Greensboro Science Center. The protection of the buffers around Jeanette and Buffalo has lent the urban reservoirs — particularly Jeanette — a special quality of natural tranquility. Because of their protection, they offer respite within the city, habitat for native species, and ecosystem services within local and regional watersheds. This section of the book will seek to strike a balance — on one side maintaining the protection and health of the buffer, and on the other, opening key pieces of the buffer to traffic and use, in the interest of providing a significant addition to Greensboro’s roster of public educational and recreational amenities. In doing so, it is the hope that an appropriate balance of public access can be granted to these culturally and ecologically significant settings within Greensboro’s city limits.
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CITY LIMITS
1879
1907 1895 1899
Moses and Ceasar Cone invest $50,000 in C.E. Graham Manufacturing Company in Asheville, marking the brothers’ first investment in textiles
1905
1925
Lake Buffalo and Lake Brandt are built
WORLD WAR I
When the Cone brothers decide to weave their own cloth to sell, they establish Proximity Manufacturing Company in Greensboro. Proximity Cotton Mills would weave denim in close “proximity” to the cotton fields, gins, warehouses, and rail lines
To meet the growing demand for denim, the Cones build the largest denim mill in the world in Greensboro. They name it White Oak after a 200-year-old oak tree that stands nearby
The textile products coming out of Cone Mills directly contributed to the war-effort uniforms during the first World War
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE Cone Mills was founded by Moses and Caesar Cone, two brothers who originally were grocery salesmen from Baltimore. The brothers ultimately built three textile mills and a finishing plant in Greensboro, which brought thousands of jobs and workers to the area. The first textile plant, Proximity Mill, opened in 1896 on the northeastern edge of Greensboro. White Oak Cotton Mill, the largest of the factories, was built in 1905, along with Proximity Print Works. As World War I approached, Cone Mills products were in high demand by the U.S. military, and production soared. After the war, Cone Mills shifted to the production of consumer materials such as Deeptone denim, flannelette, and Proximity Plisse. When World War II began, Cone Mills shifted again, producing camouflage and tent cloth in addition to denim. The 1942 construction of the Jeanette reservoir helped the company to gear up its wartime operations. Today, Jeanette and Buffalo Lakes provide a lasting relic of this historic past. Although the mills are no longer
1942
1957
Lake Jeanette is built
WORLD WAR II
Lake Higgins is built + Lake Brandt is raised
1969 Lake Townsend is built
1948
Cone Mills Corporation is born with the merger of Proximity Manufacturing Company and Revolution Cotton Mills.
As World Ware
in operation, the lakes still hold the opportunity to provide a window into part of not just Greensboro’s history - but also that of the United States during the 20th century. *** EXPAND SOME***
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NORTHERN PIDEMONT
GREENSBORO
BLUE RIDGE
PIEDMONT ECOREGION
ATLANTIC FLYWAY
SOUTHEASTERN PLAINS
CAPE FEAR RIVER BASIN
ECOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake sit at a nexus of Cape Fear River headwaters, Piedmont landscapes, and the Atlantic Flyway. Decisions regarding treatment of the reservoir sites have the potential to reverberate throughout these larger systems. As human development densifies and as I-840 is completed, the preservation of the buffers around Jeanette and Buffalo will be critical to maintain local water quality, which in turn maintains the quality of water that enters the Cape Fear River and empties into the coastal waters off Baldhead Island. The reservoirs and their edges represent an important landscape typology within the Piedmont ecoregion, the health of which depends on protecting enough stretches of high-quality plant life and habitat to maintain a broader ecosystem balance. The same principle applies to the Atlantic Flyway; the ability of diverse bird species to survive and reproduce depends on the ability of places like Jeanette and Buffalo to offer food and habitat along their migratory journeys. The Greensboro reservoirs are a small but vital piece of these systems, which are essential to the health and wellbeing of humans and wildlife. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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WETLAND
PRIORITY SPECIES PERMANENT
MIGRATORY
SUMMER
WINTER
American black duck
American coot
Mallard
Hooded merganser
Wood duck
RESERVOIR / IMPOUNDMENT PRIORITY SPECIES PERMANENT
American black duck
MIGRATORY
Least sandpiper
SUMMER
WINTER
American coot
Mallard
Hooded merganser
Wood duck
Horned grebe
Lesser scaup
Ring-necked duck
UNDERWATER SPORT FISH
Largemouth bass
Crappie
Bluegill
Images of birds: birds.cornell.edu | Images of fish: ncwildlife.org
Catfish
WATER’S EDGE PRIORITY HABITAT
The undeveloped buffer at a reservoir’s edge — 10 feet at Buffalo Lake and 50 feet at Lake Jeanette — makes possible the diversity of wildlife seen here. These species and others rely on shoreline vegetation, snags, and microclimates for shelter, foraging, breeding, and nesting. A protected water’s edge promoated water quality and creates the condition for a complex web of food chains and habitats capable of maintaining multiple species, at multiple points in their life histories. The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission identifies the protection of shoreline buffers as one of the foremost priorities in the conservation of native wildlife.
SUBURBAN LANDSCAPE PRIORITY SPECIES PERMANENT
MIGRATORY
SUMMER
Brown-headed nuthatch
Chimney swift
Brown thrasher
Eastern kingbird
Carolina chickadee
Eastern wood-pewee
Eastern towhee
Indigo bunting
WINTER
Mourning dove
WATER’S EDGE The Wildlife Action Plan developed by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission identifies human development as a top threat to native wildlife, and it recommends the acquisition and conservation of lakeshore buffer lands to promote water quality, prevent harmful erosion and sedimentation, and maintain critical habitat. The plan also recommends buffer management practices to preserve biodiversity and protect native populations, such as limiting disturbance in buffers; retaining or creating snags, logs and other structures; identifying and removing invasive plant species; and planting native vegetation to provide food and habitat. The bird species shown here — all of which have been sighted at Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake, according to eBird.org, a database created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and National Audubon Society — are listed as priority species by the Piedmont Bird Conservation Region. The ability of the reservoirs to support a diverse range of native, priority species suggests the quality of their aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Conservation of the lakes and the buffers around them would allow for the protection of these species and the food webs and habitats that support them — and for the ongoing education and enjoyment of local birdwatchers. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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AERIAL VIEW OVER LAKE JEANETTE
50 FOOT BUFFER
LAKE JEANETTE
30 FOOT BUFFER + DOCKS
LAKE ATAGAHI
ZERO FOOT BUFFER + DOCKS
LAKE TOXAWAY
PRIORITY HABITAT ZONE
EDGES: A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY IN URBAN CONDITIONS The priority habit zone along Jeanette and Buffalo Lakes is a feature that separates these waterbodies from similar waterbody/residential development scenarios throughout the state. The 50 foot buffer, and very limited human footprint viewable from the lakes’ shores has created habitat zones for sensitive wildlife of the region, and has also preserved a visually tranquil viewshed across the resevoirs. Compared to other developments in North Carolina, the sectional condition that exists in Greensboro is rather unique. In many other examples throughout the stae, the edge of water is often occupied by a combination of houses, roads, or docks. And in cases where there is an observed building setback, it is often in the +/- 30 foot range. With 50 foot buffers in place at Lakes Jeanette and Buffalo, the opportunity exists to not only protect these areas from future development, but to also create public amenities that capture these resources in a more impactful way. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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ATLANTA-YADKIN GREENWAY (EXISTING)
Existing infrastrucutres, an example of which is pictured above, could be re-imagined as a public amenitiy that allows for these water bodies to be a shared resource amongst all of Greensboro. Proposed trails take advantage of these existing pieces and connects them through a more comprehensive trail network.
RECREATIONAL + EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY Zooming out to a larger scale helps visually connect the dots that would allow for ceratin points along the resevoirs to becomes greaer public amenities. This map shows Greensboro’s existing trail system and how infrastructure and programming at Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake might contribute destinations and points of connection that have the potential to strengthen the entire system. The vision shown is for a new network that connects to existing trails and is anchored by a “cone” of educational institutions — the existing Greensboro Science Center, a proposed Greensboro Watershed Education Center on Lake Jeanette, and educational trails through the Philadelphia Lake wetlands (western portion of Buffalo Lake). The proposed trails largely make use of existing street infrastructure, with improvements such as striping for bike lanes, sidewalks where there are none, and pedestrian bridges. One important exception is the proposed addition of a public trail along the Jeanette spillway and the buffer’s northern edge. This quarter-mile stretch of trail would provide a critical connection between the existing West House Trail, the neighborhoods around Jeanette, and points beyond.
PROPOSED EDUCATIONAL CENTER
LAKE JEANETTE
NORTH HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD
THE ORCHARD NEIGHBORHOOD
20 MINUTES: LAKE-TO-GSC
20 MINUTES: LAKE-TO-LAKE
THREE MEADOWS NEIGHBORHOOD
GREENSBORO SCIENCE CENTER (GSC)
NORTH HYDE PARK NEIGHBORHOOD
SPICEWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD
PROPOSED ‘TRI-ED’ TRAIL
KIRKWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD
MENDENHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL
20 MINUTES: LAKE-TO-GSC
BUFFALO LAKE
PAGE HIGH SCHOOL COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENTS
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WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENTS Waterbodies located within urbanized areas face significant water-quality challenges, including contamination from stormwater runoff, point-source discharges, and postindustrial pollutants by way of groundwater. When these challenges are coupled with poor development and management practices, water quality and quantity can become serious issues for public health, safety, and wellbeing. According to the 2004 National Water Quality Inventory, about 44% of assessed stream miles and 64% of assessed lake acres were not clean enough to support uses such as fishing and swimming. The challenges are many. Excess nutrient levels in surface waters result in algal blooms, for example, which can lead to a reduction in the amount of oxygen available to other aquatic life. Pathogens can contaminate surface drinking water sources. When sediment enters stream channels, it can contribute to nutrient enrichment, reduce the water’s clarity, and spread over the stream substrate, interfering with aquatic life and impeding reproduction. Oil, grease, petroleum products, pesticides, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and heavy metals enter waterbodies through runoff and pose direct physiological hazards to aquatic organisms and the terrestrial animals that depend upon them, including humans. This section provides baseline water quality assessments of Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake, plus other hydrologically connected waters located within the city limits of Greensboro. The results will inform decisions about future reservoir uses and management strategies (some of which are displayed in the “Site Possibilties” section of this report), such as the possible limits of increased recreational use and the role that Jeanette and Buffalo could play within Greensboro’s drinking water supply system. The results are also a starting point for future educational and research opportunities at Jeanette and Buffalo — using the reservoirs to test the impact of lake mixing techniques on algal blooms, for example, or to better understand how dissolved organic matter in wetlands can produce radical compounds that destroy harmful contaminants, or to identify a source of drinking-water contaminants within Greensboro’s complex urban-suburban-commercial-industrial landscape. The potential value of long-term research access is significant and could lead to the development of knowledge and techniques that promote water quality across the state and beyond.
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IMAGE: Diagram depicting the role Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake play in contributing to human sources of drinking water, and to the potential educational / recreational fabric of Greensboro.
REEDY FORK WATER SUPPLY WATERSHED
LAKE
PUMP
FILTRATION PLANT
PUMP
PUMP
STORAGE + DISTRIBUTION
BUFFALO LAKE
LAKE JEANETTE
POTABLE RESOURCE
AQUATIC RECREATION
PISCINE HABITAT
AVIAN HABITAT
TERRESTRIAL RECREATION
ATTRIBUTES AFFECTED BY WATER QUALITY OF LAKES: JEANETTE & BUFFALO
LAKE TOWNSEND LAKE BRANDT
LAKE HIGGINS
TOWNSEND WATER TREATMENT PLANT
LAKE JEANETTE
BUFFALO LAKE
MITCHELL WATER TREATMENT PLANT
HUMAN HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake lie in the lowest elevations of their respective subwatersheds, collecting the water that falls on surrounding land, buildings, and roadways. When Jeanette reaches its capacity, excess water flows over its spillway and into Lake Townsend, which is a source of Greensboro’s drinking water. The vegetated buffers surrounding the reservoirs play important roles within their watersheds. The plants slow the flow of the water, preventing erosion and sedimentation, which in turn protects the integrity of the edge and the quality of the water. Buffer plants and soil allow water to infiltrate before entering the reservoirs, filtering out pollutants and preventing downstream flooding. While the water from Lake Townsend eventually goes through a treatment cycle before being provided to the residents and businesses in the surrounding region of Greensboro, the price of repair and upkeep of the water treatment system is directly linked to the quality of the water being provided by the watershed in which it exists. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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J1
J2
J3 J4 J5
J6
LAKE JEANETTE SAMPLE LOCATIONS
B4 B1
B3
P1
B6
B2
B5
P2
BUFFALO & PHILADELPHIA LAKES SAMPLE LOCATIONS
RESERVOIR WATER SAMPLES Faculty and students collected water samples to learn about algal biomass, potential cyanotoxins, and the current nature of lake mixing in Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake. Samples from Philadelphia Lake, which is a wetland that flows into Buffalo, would allow for the study of dissolved organic matter and for the characterization of Philadelphia’s connection to Buffalo. “Grab” samples were collected at each of the locations marked in blue, to analyze algal biomass, potential cyanotoxins, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, and dissolved organic carbon. The field crew measured the Secchi depth at each location, a measure of water clarity that can help define the zone in which visible light can penetrate the water’s surface. They used a Hydrolabs multiparameter sonde to measure a suite of water-quality and biological parameters. And a SPATT, or Solid Phase Adsorption Toxin Tracking, was installed at each location to allow screening for accumulated toxin signals. Marked in orange are the locations where temperature chains were installed in each reservoir. The chains have six temperature loggers located at fixed depths along the entire water column, and each logger measures water temperature hourly to allow for insights into lake mixing. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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CHLOROPHYLL SCALE
OCTOBER 27
DECEMBER 1
MAY XX
RESULTS: ALGAL DYNAMICS + LAND USE OPPORTUNITIES Chlorophyll a concentrations (Chla) are measured as a proxy for overall algal biomass, and guidelines from the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality suggest that exceedance of a 40 µg L-1 Chla standard results in “impairment” of water under the federal Clean Water Act. Average algal biomass in Lake Jeanette stayed -1 well below this threshold at 12 µg L-1 Chla. In Buffalo Lake, however, algal biomass averaged 51 µg L-1 Chla, and 67% of the samples exceeded the 40 µg L-1 Chla standard. Samples also were collected to determine the presence or absence of cyanotoxins. “Grab” samples allow for a snapshot of lake conditions at the time of collection, and SPATT field-tracking devices allow screening for accumulated toxin signals over time. Preliminary SPATT results show that microcystin (MCY) and cylindrospermopsin (CYL) were present at a central sampling site in each lake, while anatoxin (ANA) was not confirmed. These SPATT levels generally fall within ranges detected in several other North Carolina reservoirs, where multiple toxins can be observed year-round, but where absolute contaminants based on “grab” samples rarely exceed regulatory levels.
CHLOROPHYLL SCALE
OCTOBER 27
DECEMBER 1
MAY XX
Pending analysis of this first round of “grab� samples will allow for direct comparison with World Health Organization guidelines to assess recreational risks based on toxin concentrations. And continuous, yearround monitoring of Chla, algal abundance and toxin concentrations will allow for the evaluation of actual risks associated with toxic blooms in Jeanette and Buffalo. ***statement about recognizing algal bloom potential and proposing site possibilties that seek to address these issues either through direct intervention (buffalo lake) or through education (jeanette lake watershed education center)***
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G5 G3
G4 PIEDMONT TRIAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
GROUNDWATER SAMPLE LOCATIONS
JEANETTE
G2
G1
BUFFALO
GROUNDWATER + STREAMWATER SAMPLES Faculty and students collected samples to measure contaminant concentration and flux in groundwater, streams, Lake Jeanette, and Buffalo Lake. Results provide a preliminary picture of the occurrence and movement of organic contaminants from groundwater to surface water, and from one surface water resource to another, within the hydrologically connected drinking-water supply system of Greensboro, including Jeanette and Buffalo. The research team built a specialized sampling probe to collect groundwater samples at depths of 20 to 40 centimeters. Groundwater and streamwater samples collected at locations marked on the map above were analyzed for organic contaminants, including PFOS, 1,4 dioxane, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These results were analyzed alongside existing Greensboro surface-water discharge measurements to determine potential fluxes of contaminants between different components of the surface-water system — for example, from Lake Jeanette to Lake Townsend.
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INFORMATION FORTHCOMING
PRELIMINARY GROUNDWATER RESULTS Equam avemuni movescrum pares? quem idiem am mo publibu nuntiaes, ci caventia? Asdam us ter qui ignosto ut aucertus incerem quem. Gra, consuli ssimovi demus, consimus, C. esil consimus vivenihilici intilibus, quam, quis vasdam in verios ermis conlocr entiam ili, virtus ad morit? Palicae tamdi confec terfensin te tat, nosteris acta, mo et; nos, mis vestienteme intesenam Patin achum, catrume abenatudam simus? Aximensua Seruntesis mantem ommo in Itam urnitenat venihic mantem ommo astorte ment. Aperbi simussuli, mentem. Ebest C. Vium adhui porum spiocci vastili catrare fatquidio, quissolut octus por ut pultum Romnocchilii fursunum actant. Gul tem. Fulin demus etris. Dite patquod iceps, cus ego vilis re consulis hocus ipio idesicurs patiocupion vilicis, num etia ne es conterferis cervilica vidie convo, C. Catia etis con tam quam misquo C. Ratemendam iam teatim es omnotim eniquem unihin sentem num inatam mus. Caed iaeceps, entrebem nonsupplique faudam inatuit vivast adductu M. Tandeesciem pora Sp. Gra venam dicum confentem, ium proptil icaelis re popon senatimium, nonsico nfenatus, C. Uliuspi huit, urbis aur. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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SITE POSSIBILITIES
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SITE POSSIBILITIES Assets, issues, and opportunities uncovered during the interdisciplinary analysis phase informed the creation of schematic plans for three sites: Lake Jeanette, Buffalo Lake, and Philadelphia Lake. Combined, the plans offer a vision of conservation that protects habitat, promotes water quality, and serves the public interest through education, recreation, and research. The character of the reservoirs influenced their distinct schematic plans. The Jeanette plan calls for a watershed education center and trail connection to the north, along the reservoir’s edge with Lake Townsend, while preserving the buffer and tranquility along the lake’s remaining edges. The Buffalo plan envisions a social and commercial space around the existing restaurant, with improved sidewalk and trail infrastructure to allow access from surrounding offices, businesses, neighborhoods, and schools. The Philadelphia plan’s focus is education, with an outdoor classroom for the middle school and educational trails that allow users to explore the beauty and complexity of the wetland. These schematic plans fit into the broader trails plan proposed in the Connectivity section, and they accommodate the conservation priorities identified in the Water + Habitat section. The overall proposal offers a model for urban land conservation — balancing the critical needs of habitat and water quality with visionary programming that serves the public, all while advancing knowledge of waterbodies and of the complex human and ecological systems they inhabit.
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MENDENHALL MIDDLE SCHOOL
CITY PROPERTY
CITY PROPERTY
LAKE PHILADELPHIA EDUCATIONAL CIRCUIT
to Co
untry P a
rk and Greens
boro Science Center
OUTDOOR CLASSROOM BUFFALO LAKE CIRCUIT
OAD ON R MARST
D LEVAR
E BOU
CON WEST
‘TRI-ED’ TRAIL
PHILADELPHIA LAKE Philadelphia Lake is a wetland that flows into Buffalo Lake. To its northwest is Mendenhall Middle School, and to its southwest is city property. The wetland itself offers ample opportunity for education and research about wetland dynamics and restoration; the school and the city properties next door offer a unique opportunity to broaden the public benefit of the site by incorporating an outdoor classroom and educational trails. The Philadelphia Lake classroom and trail system would be one point of the triangle of educational programming defined at its other points by the existing Greensboro Science Center and the proposed Greensboro Watershed Education Center. Proposed trails would connect users to all three sites, by foot or by bike.
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PHILADELPHIA LAKE: NATURE TRAILS
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PHILADELPHIA LAKE: OUTDOOR CLASSROOM
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to Lake Jeanette
RT H
EL MS TR EE T
BUFFALO LAKE CIRCUIT
NO
LAKESIDE PIER AND RESTAURANT LAKESIDE AND LEVEE TRAIL
TC
WES
ARD ULEV
BO ONE
PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
WALTER HINES PAGE HIGH SCHOOL
ake ia L lph e d ila to Ph
‘TRI-ED’ TRAIL
MARSTON & CONE INTERSECTION
ELM & CONE INTERSECTION
ALMA PINNIX PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE
HIGH SCHOOL SIDEWALK & CROSSING
BUFFALO LAKE Buffalo Lake in its current condition is the most publicly accessible of the sites, with a restaurant on one corner and access to the lake’s edge from a brief footpath off of Cone Boulevard. This plan calls for that access to be formalized and improved by way of trails along the levee, sidewalk improvements on Cone Boulevard, and a pedestrian bridge to allow users — including students from Page High School — to cross Cone safely to the lake and its amenities. The plan also calls for simple improvements to the existing pier and water’s edge, to create spaces for public gathering and birdwatching. Trails, sidewalks, and bike lanes proposed in the Connectivity section would connect Buffalo to Lake Jeanette and to other trails and destinations within easy walking and biking distance.
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BUFFALO LAKE: SIDEWALKS & TRAILS
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BUFFALO LAKE: RESTAURANT & PIER
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to West House Trail to Osprey Trail
PROPOSED TRAILS
GREENSBORO WATERSHED EDUCATION CENTER
LAKE JEANETTE
to ‘Tri-Ed’ Trail
DOCK & BOARDWALK
GREENSBORO WATERSHED EDUCATION CENTER
OPEN PLAY AREA
RAIN GARDEN
PARKING
NATURE TRAILS
WETLAND STUDY
NATURE STUDY & BOADWALK
BOARDWALK
LAKE JEANETTE Lake Jeanette is treasured for its tranquility. This plan would preserve the peace by keeping most of the reservoir’s buffer intact and undisturbed. All the proposed improvements are on the north side of the reservoir, along its edge with Lake Townsend and on an open tract that abuts a cul-de-sac. The plan calls for a public trail along the spillway to create a short but vital connection between existing trails and neighborhoods. It also calls for the establishment of the Greensboro Watershed Education Center, a small structure surrounded by gardens, trails, and play areas. Visitors can learn about the stewardship of urban watersheds while having access to the water and to a lakeshore habitat that plays a critical role in its own urban watershed. The Greensboro Watershed Education Center and the spillway trail are connected to the rest of the city by way of existing and proposed trails.
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LAKE JEANETTE: EDUCATION CENTER
COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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LAKE JEANETTE: NATURE PLAY & LEARNING
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RESOURCES
COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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81
FUTURE
MAP LEGEND AGRICULTURE
MULTI FAMILY
AIRPORT
OFFICE
COMMERCIAL
OPEN
DOWNTOWN
OWNER ASSOCIATION
GOLF COURSE
PARK
HEAVY INDUSTRIAL
RIGHT OF WAY
INSTITUTIONAL
SINGLE FAMILY
LIGHT INDUSTRIAL
WATER
MIXED USE
WOODS
I- 8 4 0
SURROUNDING LAND USE Equam avemuni movescrum pares? quem idiem am mo publibu nuntiaes, ci caventia? Asdam us ter qui ignosto ut aucertus incerem quem. Gra, consuli ssimovi demus, consimus, C. esil consimus vivenihilici intilibus, quam, quis vasdam in verios ermis conlocr entiam ili, virtus ad morit? Palicae tamdi confec terfensin te tat, nosteris acta, mo et; nos, mis vestienteme intesenam Patin achum, catrume abenatudam simus? Aximensua Seruntesis mantem ommo in Itam urnitenat venihic mantem ommo astorte ment. Aperbi simussuli, mentem. Ebest C. Vium adhui porum spiocci vastili catrare fatquidio, quissolut octus por ut pultum Romnocchilii fursunum actant. Gul tem. Fulin demus etris. Dite patquod iceps, cus ego vilis re consulis hocus ipio idesicurs patiocupion vilicis, num etia ne es conterferis cervilica vidie convo, C. Catia etis con tam quam misquo C. Ratemendam iam teatim es omnotim eniquem unihin sentem num inatam mus. Caed iaeceps, entrebem nonsupplique faudam inatuit vivast adductu M. Tandeesciem pora Sp. Gra venam dicum confentem, ium proptil icaelis re popon senatimium, nonsico nfenatus, C. Uliuspi huit, urbis aur. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
83
FUTURE
MAP LEGEND $0 - $250,000 $251,000 - $750,000 $751,000 - $1,250,000 $1,251,000 +
I- 8 4 0
SURROUNDING PROPERTY VALUE Equam avemuni movescrum pares? quem idiem am mo publibu nuntiaes, ci caventia? Asdam us ter qui ignosto ut aucertus incerem quem. Gra, consuli ssimovi demus, consimus, C. esil consimus vivenihilici intilibus, quam, quis vasdam in verios ermis conlocr entiam ili, virtus ad morit? Palicae tamdi confec terfensin te tat, nosteris acta, mo et; nos, mis vestienteme intesenam Patin achum, catrume abenatudam simus? Aximensua Seruntesis mantem ommo in Itam urnitenat venihic mantem ommo astorte ment. Aperbi simussuli, mentem. Ebest C. Vium adhui porum spiocci vastili catrare fatquidio, quissolut octus por ut pultum Romnocchilii fursunum actant. Gul tem. Fulin demus etris. Dite patquod iceps, cus ego vilis re consulis hocus ipio idesicurs patiocupion vilicis, num etia ne es conterferis cervilica vidie convo, C. Catia etis con tam quam misquo C. Ratemendam iam teatim es omnotim eniquem unihin sentem num inatam mus. Caed iaeceps, entrebem nonsupplique faudam inatuit vivast adductu M. Tandeesciem pora Sp. Gra venam dicum confentem, ium proptil icaelis re popon senatimium, nonsico nfenatus, C. Uliuspi huit, urbis aur. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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9 8 REEDY FORK — LAKE BRANDT SUBWATERSHED
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
SECTIONS
MAP LEGEND WATERSHED BOUNDARY STREAM WATERBODY PARK / OPEN SPACE EXISTING CONSERVATION AREA POTENTIAL CONSERVATION AREA
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
REEDY FORK — LAKE TOWNSEND SUBWATERSHED
SMITH BRANCH — REEDY FORK SUBWATERSHED
NORTH BUFFALO CREEK SUBWATERSHED
URBAN WATERSHEDS + HABITAT HEADING Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake lie in the lowest elevations of their respective subwatersheds, collecting the water that falls on surrounding land, buildings, and roadways. When Jeanette reaches its capacity, excess water flows over its spillway and into Lake Townsend, which is a source of Greensboro’s drinking water. The vegetated buffers surrounding the reservoirs play important roles within their watersheds. The plants slow the flow of the water, preventing erosion and sedimentation, which in turn protects the integrity of the edge and the quality of the water. Buffer plants and soil allow water to infiltrate before entering the reservoirs, filtering out pollutants and preventing downstream flooding. The next section of the book will discuss these water-quality issues in greater detail. The map above shows existing conservation areas as identified by the N.C. Natural Heritage Program. It also shows the potential impact of conservation areas around Jeanette and Buffalo, which would serve to connect the existing areas and would guarantee the long-term protection of the ecosystem services mentioned above. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
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SIZE — 361 acres TYPE — suburban EDGE — planted buffer / residential
OWNERSHIP — private
LAKE JEANETTE
BUFFALO LAKE
5 miles to downtown Greensboro
SIZE — 150 acres TYPE — suburban EDGE — park / residential / mixed-use
SIZE — 105 acres OWNERSHIP — private TYPE — suburban EDGE — planted buffer / residential / mixed-use
2 miles to downtown Greensboro
OWNERSHIP — public
LAKE JOHNSON
SIZE — 32,000 acres OWNERSHIP — publicTYPE — suburban private EDGE — residential / mixed-use / park / private docks
LAKE NORMAN
3.5 miles to downtown Raleigh
7 miles to Charlotte
LAKE MONONA
MADISON, WI
LAKE JOHNSON RALEIGH, NC
LAKE JEANETTE & BUFFALO LAKE GREENSBORO, NC
LAKE NORMAN CHARLOTTE, NC
LADY BIRD LAKE
AUSTIN, TX
LAKE LANIER ATLANTA, GA
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN
MANDEVILLE, LA
LAKE GUNTERSVILLE GUNTERSVILLE, AL
SIZE — 69,000 acres OWNERSHIP — public TYPE — urban EDGE — trail / harbor / marina / residential / private docks
SIZE — 37,000 acres TYPE — suburban EDGE — park / residential / private docks
LAKE GUNTERSVILLE
LAKE LANIER
0 miles to downtown Guntersville, AL
SIZE — 416 acres TYPE — urban EDGE — trail / park / mixed-use
LADY BIRD LAKE
1 mile to downtown Austin, TX
OWNERSHIP — public
26 miles to Atlanta, GA
OWNERSHIP — public
SIZE — 403,000 acres OWNERSHIP — public TYPE — urban EDGE — park / trail / yacht club / mixed-use
LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN
0 miles to downtown Mandeville, LA
SIZE — 3,200 acres OWNERSHIP — public TYPE — urban EDGE — park / trail / residential / boat launch / private docks
LAKE MONONA N
1,000 feet
2 miles to downtown Madison, WI
OTHER URBAN LAKES Lake Jeanette and Buffalo Lake are in the rare category of urban reservoirs under private control. All of the urban reservoirs on these pages are public, even if the properties surrounding them are not. The portions shown here of Lake Lanier in Georgia and Lake Norman in Charlotte offer examples of what Jeanette and Buffalo could become: public lakes ringed by private lots, each with its own dock and private access. Lake Johnson in Raleigh has a vegetated buffer, but with full public access to trails and shelters. The other lakes shown are centerpieces of their communities, with varied approaches to their public, private, and commercial edges. Several public and non-profit environmental agencies — in their efforts to protect lake shoreline habitats from giving way to lawns, pavement, buildings, or docks — have published studies that link the high water quality of lakes to higher property values. Studies in Maine, Minnesota, and Mississippi suggest that healthy lakeshore habitat is associated with cleaner and clearer water, which creates aesthetic and recreational value that translates to real increases in property value and local recreational revenues. COASTAL DYNAMICS DESIGN LAB
89