Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Patterson Creek Sanitary Infrastructure Protection
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About
Palmer was tasked with mitigating erosional risk to infrastructure while also improving aquatic habitat.
Project Sector
Project Services
- Fluvial Geomorphology

Project Description
Patterson Creek has been altered by decades of urbanization in the City of Richmond Hill, Ontario, resulting in increased exposure of municiplal infrastructure and private property to erosion.
We partnered with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority to complete a fluvial geomorphological assessment and ecological field updates along the valley corridor of five reaches with at-risk sanitary crossings and signs of valley wall erosion near private property.
Our work produced viable alternatives for protecting infrastructure and property from erosion at 12 sites, with particular attention paid to the sensitivities and habitat preferences of a federally protected minnow species, Redside Dace. We developed and evaluated preferred design alternatives considering implications for hydraulics, geomorphology, ecology, culture, and cost. We prepared packages for natural channel design at prioritized sites and supported inspection throughout construction.