In a step towards improving the drainage at Harvard Place, and improving erosion & siltation in the Arboretum, the City of Ann Arbor installed new underground structures to reduce the velocity of the water in the storm drain underneath Harvard Place in 2009.  This reduced the erosion where the water outlets into the Arboretum, and improved the capacity of the storm drain before it enters the Arboretum. 

The work was done by contractor Birkenstock Enterprises, Inc of Brighton, Michigan.  This project is funded by Stormwater Utility funds.

The city coordinated work with the University of Michigan who constructed an infiltration area in the Arb as a demonstration of best management practices.  The work included a naturalized prairie & swale area that promotes water infiltration into the soil, reducing the erosion & siltation of downstream areas.   

For their joint effort at solving the stormwater problems in the Harvard neighborhood and in the Nichols Arboretum, the City of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan, and OHM consulting engineers, received the American Public Works Association Detroit Area Project of the Year award.