Cemetery Project Update: Stormwater Improvements Bring Added Burial Capacity
Thursday, February 23rd, 2023
The construction of a stormwater management structure in the West Hill Cemetery was planned to reduce the risk of flooding in the surrounding neighborhoods, but it's also bringing an unexpected added benefit: more usable space for future burials. The dirt that crews dug up as part of the project is being moved to the upper section of the cemetery to create usable space where burials were previously not possible due to the shallow depth of the soil.
"Essentially, from when the project started, the upper section wasn’t even in the mix," said Chad Townsend, Dalton Public Works director. "The top part got added once we realized that we needed to someplace to take the export soils from the detention pond area."
Caption: Pools of water from recent rain can be seen forming along the construction area of a regenerative stormwater conveyance in the West Hill Cemetery. The structure is a stormwater management project that will reduce flooding concerns in the surrounding area
The new stormwater, called a regenerative stormwater conveyance, is being built which is being built along Evans Whitener Drive in an area of the cemetery that was unable to be used for burials due to flooding issues. The structure is a series of rocky dams that create a cascading series of pools that slow down stormwater flow as it moves through the cemetery and detains water before it enters the water system. Creating those pools required the excavation of a great deal of dirt from the lower part of the cemetery which has been taken up the hill to the cemetery section along Emery Street near the Georgian Apartments.
"The existing conditions of (the Emery Street) site didn’t allow for any burials because sub-surface rock was so close to the surface it wouldn’t allow us the proper depth for burials," Townsend said. "So we utilized the excess soils from the pond area and we are able to build up the spoil site to a higher depth that would allow for burials. We essentially expanded our capacity for burials in the cemetery so it’s essentially a bonus with both the detention pond and now added burial space."
Passersby have been curious about the large dirt mount being built along Emery Street and some have even asked if graves were being removed. That's not the case, as burials have never been possible in that section which previously was an empty field with trees and a very large boulder indicative of the shallow underground rock. The boulder and trees have been removed and the soil from the stormwater construction site down the hill is being dumped there to create a higher mound that will be used for future burial sites.
Caption: Soil excavated from the project is being deposited in an upper section of the cemetery to raise the level of the ground and create new capacity for burials
"We haven’t done a detailed calculation on it but we are confident in saying that we’re going to be able to get at least six more years’ worth of burials by adding this capacity," Townsend said. "Potentially even eight to ten more years."
Construction for the project has been slowed by rainy weather conditions this winter, but recently the project has been taking shape. As residents drive past on Emery Street they can see the detention pools taking shape. They're already starting to work as intended during rain events.
"We were out there (Monday) and our contractor (B&J Reed Construction) has made some great headway so at least the bottom two areas are taking shape now which are the actual detention pond areas, and then the regenerative stormwater conveyance will follow suit," Townsend said. "Given the weather that we’ve been dealing with, they’ve done great thus far."
The project is expected to be completed in the late spring or early summer.
Below: More pictures from the construction site on a recent afternoon
