Naturalized backflood basins at Sage Creek are a unique form of stormwater retention, remaining almost entirely dry throughout the year and only holding water temporarily during flood events above the system’s normal water level.

Sage Creek is a nine-phase housing development on 365 ha in south-east Winnipeg. NPS was contracted to construct 13 stormwater retention and two backflood basins. Construction of the stormwater basins for Phase 1 began in 2006 and the design of the final two stormwater basins for Phase 9 was completed in 2014. In addition to designing and constructing the stormwater basins, 13 ha of native grasses were planted upslope of the basins. Another 20 ha of hydro corridor associated with the development was also planted with native grasses. Our plantings included native wetland species for the basins, wet meadow species for transition areas, and site-appropriate upland native grasses.

NPS provided a full range of services from advisory, consulting, and design to on-site basin commissioning, weed and erosion control, vegetation planting and monitoring, and post-establishment maintenance. Post-establishment maintenance has included a prescribed burn on eight of the stormwater retention basins and Phase 1 of the hydro corridor.