Blacksnake Creek Stormwater Outfall – St. Joseph, Missouri

The Blacksnake Creek Stormwater Outfall was just one part of the Blacksnake Creek Stormwater Separation Improvement Project in St. Joseph, Missouri. The city found significant erosion caused by stormwater and combined sewer overflows at the outfall of the 100-year old Blacksnake Sewer. The erosion caused concern for I‑229 bridge structures and an adjacent pedestrian bridge that crossed over the Blacksnake Sewer drainage channel where it connects to the Missouri River.

Kissick Construction was contracted to install an energy dissipation system consisting of a series of deep pools filled with various gradation of rocks and boulders, and separated by sheet piling; a rip rap revetment system along the slopes of the drainage channel; stormwater channel re-grade for better alignment to the Missouri River; and a new 14-foot diameter flap gate installed on the Blacksnake Sewer discharge pipe. Under the new system, a large quantity of stormwater is diverted upstream from this outfall, greatly reducing the volume of combined sewer overflow.