Overview

Stormwater is produced during every precipitation event and water that is not detained or retained by vegetation, detention, or infiltration becomes surface runoff. This runoff either flows directly into water bodies such as lakes, rivers and streams or is carried indirectly through roads, streets, catch basins, gutters, ditches, channels and storm drains. Stormwater management and surface runoff control within communities is critical to prevent flooding, infrastructure damage, stream and riverbank erosion, sedimentation of streams, habitat destruction, alteration in stream flow hydrograph, and water body degradation from pollutants. The modification of the Clean Water Act in 2000, which requires that communities comply with the EPA policy to reduce or eliminate pollutants caused by combined sewer overflows (CSOs), has caused an increased need for resilient and affordable solutions in stormwater management.

From site-specific design to community wide management, the FYRA team has the experience and technical expertise to develop innovative stormwater solutions on all levels.

FYRA Capabilities

  • Design and placement of low impact development techniques
  • Detention basin design to reduce hydraulic impacts and pollutants
  • Stormwater Pollution Prevention (SWPP) Plans and Best Management Practices (BMPs)
  • Drainage studies and basin analysis
  • Hydrologic computer modeling using HEC-HMS
  • Storm drainage system design and hydraulic analysis including street and gutters, inlets, and storm drains
  • Culvert design
  • Channel design

Featured Project

Saddle Hills Drainage Study

Omaha, Nebraska

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The Saddle Hills neighborhood is divided into northern and southern watersheds with the runoff collected by the City of Omaha storm sewers and ultimately conveyed into the Little Papillion Creek. Prior to discharging into the creek, the city storm sewer lines in the southern watershed discharge onto private property, causing erosion and sedimentation. The City of Omaha contracted FYRA Engineering to perform an analysis of the existing drainage patterns in the southern watershed and provide recommendations for lot-level stormwater better management practices (BMPs) to improve water quality and erosion associated with discharge. A unique aspect of this project will be the use of the northern watershed as a control site to compare pre- and post-sampling data. The close proximity of the two watersheds and data collection will allow the City of Omaha to conduct an accurate assessment of the implemented BMPs and associated impacts.

FYRA Engineering compiled current LiDAR contours and storm sewer information for the site, and conducted an on-site investigation to assess the drainage patterns of the southern watershed. As a result, 27 of the most suitable locations for lot level BMPs were identified. A series of data sheets and maps (one per site) were developed to represent the information collected, and a technical memorandum was writing to summarize the plan. The maps and memorandum will be utilized by the City of Omaha to select the final sites for implementation and assist in obtaining project funding.