RES served as general contractor for the City of Raleigh on the Lions Park green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) project in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. The work was completed from July through October 2025 and included two stormwater retrofits at separate locations within the park. Together, the practices are estimated to remove about 33.5 pounds of total nitrogen and 6.5 pounds of total phosphorus per year from the stormwater they treat.

At Location A, north of Dennis Avenue, RES built a subsurface gravel wetland that treats runoff from a 14.46-acre drainage area, including parts of the park’s parking lot, baseball fields, and nearby residential parcels. Because the soils there drain slowly and the seasonal high water table sits about 75 inches below the surface, a subsurface gravel wetland was the right fit for the site. The practice covers about 9,100 square feet and is designed to hold a treatment volume of about 9,470 cubic feet, roughly half of the one-inch water quality volume. Its location near the park entrance also makes it a natural place for educational signage that visitors and neighbors can see.

At Location B, beside the Lions Park Community Center, RES constructed a bioswale that captures runoff from a 0.44-acre drainage area, including part of the parking lot, driveways, and landscaped areas. The site’s well-draining soils allowed the design to omit an underdrain. The bioswale’s treatment volume exceeds the one-inch water quality volume required by the City of Raleigh and NCDEQ design guidance. Plantings were selected to attract butterflies, birds, and other wildlife while improving soil health, and the project carries a one-year warranty on all planting.

The Lions Park retrofits show how stormwater infrastructure can strengthen a public park while protecting downstream water quality. The project was completed on time and on budget.