College & University Project

South River

The South River Project was a cooperative project with DuPont, James Madison University and the South River Science Team to address mercury contamination and loss of natural resources in the South River watershed. The project involved the development and testing of adsorptive media structures that can be integrated into a natural channel design context to improve habitat, reduce in-stream erosion, and remove mercury from the water column. The use of adsorptive media containment structures were designed to use natural materials to passively filter mercury from the water column and also be integrated with river processes. Our designed structures included a rock-drop structure, a log habitat structure, and a glide structure.

Later phases will include restoration design and construction focused on stream bank stabilization measures to reduce sediment and mercury input to the river system, as well as providing ecological functional uplift.

Goals

• Reduction of mercury in the water column
• Stabilization of mercury-laden riverbank sediment
• Improved water quality and measurable ecological uplifts

Services: Stormwater Management