Shelby Farms Park is a 4,500-acre reserve of fields, meadows, lakes, pathways and trails in Memphis, Tennessee. As part of a master plan for the park, Pickering provided a feasibility study and hydrologic design for the expansion of Hyde Lake. Because it is a 80-acre centerpiece of the park, it was important to assure the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy Board and County Commission that the lake construction and ongoing performance as an amenity was possible. Pickering was tasked with assessing the issues of water quantity, water quality, constructability and permitting.  To assess the hydrologic and stormwater functions of the expanded lake, a conceptual grading and drainage plan was established. 

This concept was used to analyze the drainage basins, model the functionality of the lake and estimate the earthwork requirements, and this analysis was included in the Master Plan Report submittal to the Shelby Farms Park Conservancy Board.  The report detailed existing and proposed hydrologic systems, lake depth and change in water surface level, wetland impacts, earthwork quantities, initial lake charging and jurisdictional permitting requirements.

Beyond the feasibility study, Pickering advanced the design for the lake expansion to include a hydrologic model of the upstream basins (over 600 acres), full hydraulic design of the structures and pipe systems conveying storm drainage to and from the lake, erosion control measures, and construction details. Close attention was paid to lake stages as a response to varying rainfall conditions, varying soil conditions in all areas of the park, lake and stream bank sensitivity, and the effects of the design on water quality. 

Pickering has also provided professional services, including civil engineering, surveying, site structural engineering, road and intersection design, site electrical engineering, and wetland mitigation design and permitting, for the Shelby Farms Park Improvement projects. Those included the Woodland Discovery Playground (completed in 2011), Wolf River Pedestrian Bridge (completed in 2010), Park Gateway Signage and Hyde Lake Expansion (2016).  The Hyde Lake Expansion project includes a new Visitor Center, Events Stage, Restaurant and Retreat Center, Boat Rental Facility, Lakeside Pavilions and trails with Plazas, Interpretive Centers, and Exhibits.