Cougar Field Retrofit, Albany School District

Albany School District Cougar Field, N. of Albany Middle School (entry Brighton E. of Masonic), east of Ohlone Greenway, El Cerrito, CA. Map.

Albany School District’s Cougar Field was redone in 2008, with artificial turf (draining to permeable soil beneath) and a track made from recycled tires.

The project included building a low area where some runoff could pond and be filtered before it flowed to adjacent Cerrito Creek. Photos taken during 2008 construction show some of the “plumbing” that goes into today’s low-impact-development features.

Above, perforated pipes wrapped in filtering cloth are buried in gravel. Drains that will eventually take heavy flows project upward from these pipes. Left, detail of drain.

Below, the gravel and most of the upright pipes are covered by sandy soil that will be used for planting.

Overflow drains barely project above the grass in the finished area. Unfortunately, weeds have been allowed to overtake the edges.