Cleveland Park Streambank Stabilization

Work is underway on a streambank stabilization and restoration project in Cleveland Park. The project limits are from Cleveland Street to Woodland Way bridge along the Reedy River, as well as a small portion of Richland Creek near the Greenville Zoo. The initial work will occur next to the Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. Memorial. 

The project scope includes replacing invasive plants with native vegetation, planting hundreds of trees and shrubs and constructing stream enhancement measures. The exposed sanitary sewer pipes within the park will also be covered as part of the project.

Temporary detours along the Swamp Rabbit Trail may be necessary during the course of construction, but signage will be posted to alert trail users in advance. Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Project Details

Construction activities will include bank stabilization, sewer main encasement and floodplain excavation.

Geolifts will be utilized to stabilize streambanks, which involves grading eroded streambanks bank to a stable slope using soil layers and installing native vegetation between the layers of soil. In-stream structures called rock vanes will be installed to prevent streamflow from eroding the banks during storm events.

Sewer main encasement work will consist of placing clean fill material over the sewer mains and compacting the material to form berms with gentle slopes on either sides of the pipe.

Floodplain activities include excavating old streambank material and regrading the slopes away from the river to create a more natural stream channel, which will be replanted with native riparian vegetation. All of the streambank work along the Reedy River and Richland Creek will include removal of invasive plant material.

Project Schedule

The work will be completed in stages.

Stage 1

The first stage of the project focuses on the area around the Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. Memorial. The Swamp Rabbit Trail will remain open during this stage; however, a small section of sidewalk between the Memorial and McDaniel Avenue will be closed August 6 - September 28.  

Stage 2

The second stage will focus on the area upstream of the Major Rudolf Anderson, Jr. Memorial to Cleveland Street. The section of the Swamp Rabbit Trail between the Memorial and the Cancer Survivors Park will be closed October 1 - December 10. Additionally, the section of the Swamp Rabbit Trail between McDaniel Avenue and Shelter #3 will be closed November 5 - November 16.

Stage 3

Once work is completed between Cleveland Street and McDaniel Avenue, the project will shift downstream, past McDaniel Avenue in the vicinity of Woodland Way. During this time, sections of the Swamp Rabbit Trail between Cleveland Park Drive and the Woodland Way bridge along Lakehurst Street will be closed November 19 - January 4.

Stage 4

The final stage will focus on the area adjacent to the Greenville Zoo parking lot, near Cleveland Park Drive and Lakehurst Street. The section of the Swamp Rabbit Trail in this vicinity will be closed November 26 - December 21.