The City of Springfield has been awarded a $715,000 grant by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) for the South Creek Restoration Project. The project will remove the concrete channel and restore the creek to a more natural condition in the one-mile section along Sunset Street between Campbell Avenue and Kansas Expressway. The purpose of the project is to improve water quality and habitat for aquatic life. The project also aligns with two major goals in the Field Guide 2030 Strategic Plan to utilize native plants in publicly-funded projects and to restore streams and riparian corridors.
The grant is federal funding provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, through MDNR. The required 40% match will be provided with approximately $450,000 from the 1/4 cent Capital Improvement Sales Tax and the 2006 Springfield-Greene County Parks/Waterways Sales Tax along with contributions of time from City staff and grant partner Ozark Greenways, bringing the total value of the project to more than $1.1 million.
"This grant provides the monetary backing to help a community vision of restored waterways come closer to reality," said Todd Wagner, Principal Stormwater Engineer for the Department of Public Works.
The project is a cooperative effort of the Departments of Public Works and Environmental Service. Olsson Associates is designing the project. James River Basin Partnership (JRBP) and the Ozarks Environmental and Water Resources Institute will be monitoring water quality and aquatic life before and after the project to measure improvement. JRBP will also coordinate education and outreach efforts. Construction is anticipated to begin in spring 2015.
For more information, contact: Todd Wagner, Public Works Principal Stormwater Engineer, (417) 864-1932; or Carrie Lamb, Environmental Services Water Quality Coordinator, (417) 864-1996.
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