Tikhoye lake is located in Russian town Tyumen, in Siberia, near a residential area project designed by the development company Brusnika. A small, shallow and boggy Tikhoye lake was much wider up to the 1970s, but affected by chaotic urban development, it gradually shrank. As a result, while working on the residential area, it was decided to restore the reservoir and landscape its shoreline, thus linking the new quarter to the lake shore.
Project Name: Tikhoye lake water reserve of strength
Studio Name: Brusnika
Landscape design: Novascape, Brusnika Design
Development and landscape: Brusnika
Photo: Alexander Saskov
Research: 2020
Project: 2020-2021
Completion: 2021-2024
The project team divided the revitalisation process into several stages. The initial step comprised ecological evaluation of the lake, its water and soil. This was accomplished by Brusnika in collaboration with the The State Agrarian University of The Northern Trans-Urals, the Russian Ecology Society and ECOSTANDARD Group. Based on the results of the research, recommendations concerning biodiversity, shoreline stabilisation, dredging and fish stocking were formulated and a strategy to restore the natural site was developed.
According to research, the lake lost connection to the river due to chaotic real estate development in the 1990s and early 2000s. Its area shrank considerably and the shores became waterlogged. Brusnika sprang into action by cleaning the basin and the shores from litter, dead wood and decaying plants. The next step was to remove silt from the bottom of the lake. In order to achieve this, an artificial dam between the silted and good parts of the lake was constructed. By pumping 26 000 cubic metres of water from one part to another, 20 000 cubic metres of sediment were removed, which resulted in deepening the lake from 1.4 to 2.5 metres. The surface area of 2.7 thousand square metres remained stable. After clearing the lake bottom, supporting walls were erected in order to prevent erosion, resulting in a better defined, oval water surface.
It has been planned to landscape the lake basin by planting willows, elms, poplars, birches, cotoneasters, elders, reeds, rushes, brooklime, cattails and sedges cascading to the water. Floating bio plateaux of wetland plants will aerate water and conserve biodiversity of the natural site. They will become birds’ breeding ground and provide food for fishes that Tikhoye will be stocked with, such as carps, crucian carps and perches.
The third revitalisation stage is conceived as park development equipped with pedestrian paths and cycling lanes. Rain gardens will appear around the lake and nearby areas developed by Brusnika. They will filter the storm drain and direct water into the lake. The rainwater runoff infiltrates into the rain gardens and several terraces of the phytoremediation system before discharging into the lake. It maintains water balance, where the lake benefits from an inflow of clear water, which feeds nearby plants and sustains wildlife.
The landscaping concept is aimed to minimise man-induced stress for the lake and create dedicated recreational isles. According to the project, the park starts with a small square and a wooden amphitheatre descending right to the shore. A big playground, sun loungers and picnic sites are located next to it. Wooden vantage points complete with benches are conceived along the shoreline with a pedestrian bridge crossing the lake in its widest point. The lake could be transformed into a skating rink in winter. In order to support biodiversity and preserve birds’ breeding ground, the lights in the park are kept to a minimum. Targeted lighting of pedestrian paths will curb light pollution and make evening walks comfortable.
As well, Brusnika plans to install interactive stands along the coastline with information about the flora and fauna of the lake and organize a walking educational route for children. The revitalization process is planned to be completed by summer 2024. Upon completion of the work, Brusnika will retain patronage of the lake through seasonal monitoring. Specialists will monitor the thickness of the ice cover, control the level and quality of water during spring floods and summer droughts, check the state of fauna, avifauna and bioplateaus, flowering of aquatic plants and the integrity of the coastline. This will improve the efficiency of the measures taken and make the reservoir a significant recreational facility and eco-island of the city with high natural biodiversity. After restoration and natural self-purification of the reservoir, in approximately 3-5 years, amateur fishing will be possible on it.
Tikhoye Lake exemplifies the revitalisation of a water body with subsequent waterfront development. This project seamlessly combines several functions: namely, educational, ecological, and recreational, redefining the area as the ‘third place’.
