Current Projects
Great Pond Restoration Design Charrette
Tysam Tech has partnered with the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR) to host a Restoration Design Charrette (RDC) to produce a Restoration Action Plan (RAP) that includes design projects to help restore or improve Great Pond as a potential reef fish nursery habitat for the support of food security in the USVI.
The Restoration Design Charrette and Restoration Action Plan for Great Pond, St. Croix, USVI (RFP No. BD-23-800-8002-204), is to plan, coordinate and convene a Restoration Design Charrette (RDC) with the inclusion of technical, restoration design experts and produce a Restoration Action Plan (RAP) with 30-100% costed design of four (4) different Action Scenarios (AS) for Great Pond (including (1) ‘do nothing,’ (2) low- and (3) medium-scale interventions in the watershed and/or in the Pond, and (4) a high-impact scenario to dredge the channel mouth).
The following is a timeline for the GPR Charrette Project with past goals met and milestones ahead, in addition to a link containing more information about the Social Event.
CHARRETTE - MARCH 21 & 22, 2024
Tysam Tech hosted a multi-day charrette on March 21 and 22, 2024 to review changes to Great Pond (technical knowledge) and to present and discuss the four AS restoration options. Through this facilitated event, valuable stakeholder contributions and expert testimony has allowed for further revision of the researched and summarized knowledge base. This will provide the basis for edits and revisions to produce a critical analysis report that will include recommendations and evaluations of the four AS approaches, after reviewing with DPNR and other technical experts.
The high-level engineering designs below were discussed in depth during the multi-day Great Pond Restoration Design Charrette, which comprised an overview of the Great Pond Bay watershed, a large-scale scenario, a medium-scale scenario, and a small-scale scenario. A PDF file of the presentation is attached for more information here.
Large-scale: Aims to restore the tidal flush to Great Pond through dredging and widening the existing mouth.
Medium-scale: Comprises three potential designs, a) Re-routing the gut on the west of Great Pond, b) Addition of new retention ponds to ease runoff from Union and Mount Washington, and c) Installation of a vegetated sediment forebay to the north of Great Pond lined with mangroves facing the pond.
Small-scale: Comprises two potential designs, a) Rehabilitation of existing retention ponds, and b) Addition of drainage swales along roads to route water to Great Pond.
Do Nothing: Consideration was given and discussed for a fourth option of doing nothing to the Great Pond in its current condition.
These designs considered a number of different factors, primarily scientific, historical, social and cultural. Below is a link to a comprehensive list of documents that were used as references and supporting information in considering design and intended purpose of that design. These references are either specific to Great Pond and the USVI, or specific to the designs considered for this project.
COMMUNITY SHARING EVENT - April 12, 2024
Tysam Tech will host a community sharing event to include a celebration of oral histories and local values relative to Great Pond and presenting summarized information from all work done to date. After the social event, feedback and preferences gained from the community will be considered and tailored into the restoration plan.
Through this facilitated event, the area’s history of productivity and subsequent decline and the benefits of restorative actions to enhance Great Pond to a functional and healthy fish nursery for increased community value and future protection. Any potential objections or concerns will be considered.