Auburn Engineering partners with city of Auburn to improve stormwater at city park
Published: Sep 4, 2025 11:00 AM
By Dustin Duncan
Auburn engineers are making an impact in their own backyard with a stormwater project at Hickory Dickory Park — a public playground on the north side of Auburn — to protect and improve water quality.
The effort, a partnership between Auburn University and the city of Auburn, is funded by an Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) grant. The project will stabilize streambanks, redirect runoff and apply proven stormwater practices — improvements designed to protect local waterways and enhance residents’ quality of life.
Michael Perez, director of the Auburn University - Stormwater Research Facility, said the work addresses long-standing issues in Auburn’s streams and creeks.
“Many of our waterways are impaired,” Perez said. “Parkerson Mill Creek, which runs through campus, is impaired for pathogens. The tributary that runs through Hickory Dickory drains to the Sougahatchee Creek, which later flows to the Tallapoosa River, and that system has its own impairments.”
The project centers on stabilizing the streambank through Hickory Dickory Park, where years of stormwater surges had carved steep, unstable banks.
“Our first goal was to stabilize the stream by cutting back the vertical walls, widening the flood plain and reducing erosion,” Perez said. “That helps keep sediment from washing downstream.”
The second part of the project redirects stormwater runoff from the park and parking lots. Auburn researchers installed stabilized channels and three bioretention cells to capture water before it reaches the stream.
“By collecting and treating it first, we can slowly release it over time instead of letting it cause more erosion,” Perez said.
Perez said the stormwater facility has spent years developing and testing stormwater management practices and has a reputation for practical, research-based work.
“Now we get to take what we’ve studied at the Stormwater Research Facility and put it into practice,” he said.
The Hickory Dickory Park project is part of a larger stormwater initiative supported through the ADEM grant. The AU stormwater group and the city of Auburn are hosting rain-barrel workshops where participants receive free barrels and learn how to use them for irrigation in their gardens.
“Collecting rainwater reduces runoff, it prevents pollutants from entering streams and saves money and conserves resources,” Perez said. “We’re also teaching people how to maintain the barrels and raising awareness about stormwater management in our local community.”
Other elements include installing 50 pet waste stations around town to encourage pet waste pickup and reduce contamination into water bodies. Auburn is also piloting large cisterns at city parks, fire stations, Chewacla State Park and Opelika High School. The cisterns will collect water for irrigation while also raising awareness of conservation practices.
“This is about improving our water quality, protecting our streams and giving people the tools to make a difference,” Perez said.
According to the city of Auburn, improvements at Hickory Dickory Park include:
- Streambank restoration
- New bioretention cells
- A pathway connecting the park to Hickory Lane
- Picnic tables
- Upgraded bathroom facilities
- Fresh sod and irrigation system
“We’ve been thrilled to work alongside Auburn University to implement innovative practices that improve water quality and enhance the lives of our residents,” said Marla Smith, Watershed Division manager for the city of Auburn. “Hickory Dickory Park has been a great site for these improvements, including features that are both functional and beautiful. We look forward to welcoming the community back to the park and continuing our collaboration with AU on future stormwater initiatives.”
The project will also feature educational signage to help park visitors learn about stormwater and streambank restoration, Perez said.
“It’s rewarding to see this research benefit the neighborhood,” he said. “It’s exciting to reach a younger audience and get them interested in engineering and stormwater management.”
Media Contact: , dzd0065@auburn.edu, 334-844-2326
Graduate students in the Auburn University - Stormwater Research Facility place rocks to stabilize a streambank at Hickory Dickory Park in Auburn as part of a project to reduce erosion and improve water quality.
