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Over many decades, increasing stormwater runoff has resulted in instability of the Washington Road Stream, causing erosion and other damage to the ecosystems in the immediate area. The goal of this project is to restore the Washington Road Stream to a stable condition through the application of natural channel design principles.

This project consists of restoring approximately 1400 linear feet of stream channel along the Washington Road stream corridor on Princeton University’s campus. The project begins at the intersection of Washington Road and Armory Drive and runs 1400 feet downstream to Faculty Road.

Restoration activities include grading and reshaping the streambed and stream banks, rock boulder placement to form grade control/habitat features, stacked stone for stream bank protection, installation of cobble/gravel/sand material to help form the reshaped streambed, and landscaping the corridor with native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous materials to enhance the riparian buffer. While some trees will be removed (many of which are currently threatened by on-going bank erosion), the project entails planting some 300 new trees and over 2000 other plants. Much of the rock used in the project was brought in from the Neuroscience and Psychology construction site on the other side of Washington Road.

The goals of this project include:

• Correcting severe environmental degradation caused by past stormwater runoff (now corrected by stormwater master plan implementation)
• Ensuring ongoing stream stability and health
• Improving water quality by reducing erosion and sedimentation
• Protecting and enhance aquatic, riparian, and wetland habitat
• Achieving a net increase of 0.30 acres of wetlands within the project area

Spring 2012

1.37 Acres (Approximately 1400 linear feet of stream bed)

This image was taken on April 24, 2012. (Not a live view.)  Please see the photo gallery for past progress frames.

Renderings and construction photos are located in the photo gallery. Please note that renderings and artists' conceptions are presented here for historical purposes only.  The final designs of these projects may have evolved since these renderings were created.

Project Engineers: VHB Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Project Management: Princeton University Civil Construction

Executive Director, Engineering and Campus Energy: Thomas Nyquist

Project Manager: Sean Gallagher