Report | 2000

Daylighting: New Life for Buried Streams

By RMI
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This report describes the process of daylighting streams. Daylighting describes projects that deliberately expose some or all of the flow of a previously covered river, creek, or stormwater drainage. Daylighting projects liberate waterways that were buried in culverts or pipes, covered by decks, or otherwise removed from view. Daylighting reestablishes a waterway in its old channel where feasible, or in a new channel threaded between the buildings, streets, parking lots, and playing ?elds now present on the land. Some daylighting projects recreate wetlands, ponds, or estuaries. This report explains the benefits and challenges of daylighting. It shows the range of daylighting projects that have been completed or are under serious consideration; illustrates how some projects have been designed, facilitated, and funded; and identifies some of the challenges encountered and lessons learned. Eighteen detailed case studies are presented.