Nancy Creek Restoration at Windsor Meadows Park

The Nancy Creek watershed spans from the limits of the City of Peachtree Corners, near Winters Chapel Road, to the City of Atlanta where it meets Peachtree Creek, just upstream of its confluence with the Chattahoochee River. It covers over 37.8 square miles of mostly urbanized area.

The Nancy Creek watershed covers almost 3,800 acres in the southeastern portion of Sandy Springs, representing just shy of 16% of the whole watershed. Its northern edge follows the crest created by Mount Paran Road, Glenridge Drive and Mount Vernon Highway. Beyond this boundary, most of the water drains towards Long Island Creek.

There were three houses on the four acres of land located by the Windsor Parkway bridge and Nancy Creek that would become Windsor Meadows Park.

The lots were purchased through a federal grant and the houses were demolished, having sustained major damage during the historic flood in 2009.

Windsor Meadows Park was inaugurated in 2018. Its design intentionally has a light footprint on the environment. All surfaces allow rainwater to infiltrate and the existing vegetation remained in place. The park is entirely within the floodplain, just as the YMCA soccer fields to the northeast and the conservation area owned by the Windsor at Peachtree Homeowners' Association on the east side of Nancy Creek.

As it is common for urban streams in the United States, the morphology of Nancy Creek has changed with the development of the cities it runs through.

Water flows faster and in larger volume than in a natural setting. This results in scouring and erosion of the streambanks. In the case of Nancy Creek, it is threatening the stability of the park.

The picture on the right was taken from the pedestrian bridge in November 2019. Since then, some of the trees fell in the creek and a wood fence (seen below) was installed to increase safety.

While this project will not alleviate flooding issues, it will ensure the integrity of the streambank and improve water quality.

The water in Nancy Creek is considered "impaired" due to high concentrations of bacteria. A major source of stream contamination is runoff from nearby roads and properties when it rains. Windsor Parkway currently drains directly into Nancy Creek, likely contributing to the pollutant load.

Wildlands Engineering, Inc. are designing the project with the goal of improving the stability of the streambank, the water quality of the storm runoff and the riparian habitat.

The pictures below were taken by Wildlands Engineering, Inc. from similar projects.

Starting at the Windsor Parkway bridge, the streambank will be reinforced with a boulder toe. Boulders will be placed at the bottom of the slope to protect the bank from erosion.

A regenerative conveyance system (RCS) will replace the existing ditch that drains Windsor Parkway. These small step-pools planted with native vegetation will allow runoff to partially infiltrate, cleaning out sediments and pollutants, and slow down the flow.

A system based on the same principles was recently installed at Hammond Park.

South of the pedestrian bridge, the boulder toe will be topped with vegetated geolifts to increase the stability of the steep streambank. These structures are made of compacted soil, protected biodegradable matting and native vegetation. As the matting degrades, the plant roots reinforce the streambank and combat erosion.

Stubby and rock vanes will be placed inside the streambed. Those are small structures made of stone that will help divert the flow of water from the streambank and towards the center of the creek, to help protect the bank against erosion.

Invasive plant species that include the challenging Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus), English ivy (Hedera helix) and privet (Ligustrum sp.) colonized the vegetated buffer. These plants will be eradicated and replaced by native riparian species.

The vegetated buffer is an essential component of a healthy stream corridor as it filters and slows down water runoff and provides wildlife habitat.

January 17, 2024 The park is now an active construction site and closed to the public. Erosion and sedimentation control fences were installed to keep disturbed soil from washing into Nancy Creek. Work is beginning on the regenerative conveyance (see Proposed Improvements tab). Mature trees that were expected to be removed might be saved, thanks to on-site adjustments to the design. Despite the rain and the cold temperatures of recent days, the project remains on track.

November 2023 Construction is set to begin January 8, 2024, allowing the community to enjoy the park during the holiday season. Construction will last 6 to 8 weeks, depending on weather and site conditions. The park will remain closed to the public for the duration of the project, but the pedestrian bridge is expected to be open outside work hours.

July 2023 The GA Environmental Protection Division variance was granted in early July. This will allow land disturbance in the State-regulated stream buffer of 25'.

May 2023 The project is progressing quickly. The US Army Corps of Engineers granted the necessary permit to work in the stream channel, the stream buffer variance submitted to the GA Environmental Protection Division is under review, and the floodplain "no-rise certificate" application will be ready soon. This means the construction phase might begin ahead of schedule, in late summer rather than late fall.

The control of invasive plant species at the far end of the park is underway. As of May 25, the vendor carefully sprayed an aquatic habitat-friendly herbicide, targeting  Japanese hops (Humulus japonicus) , a prickly plant difficult to eradicate. Other species will be controlled as well over the upcoming weeks. The soil will look barren, but native plantings will be installed once all the invasives are tamed, after the major construction is completed.

In April, the City and Wildlands Engineering presented the project at a Southeast Stormwater Association seminar and garnered interest among stormwater professionals as this type of project is still infrequent in metro Atlanta.

November 30, 2022 On Tuesday, November 15, 2022, eight residents braved the wind and cold rain to discuss the proposed improvements (as shown on the previous tab). Most reside near the park and provided positive feedback.