Caras Park Stormwater Project Phase II Begins October 4th
CARAS PARK STORMWATER PROJECT PHASE II BEGINS OCTOBER 4
Collaboration Efforts Save City $100K
The City’s Public Works & Mobility Department will begin to install a stormwater infiltration gallery in Caras Park on Monday, October 4, 2021, to further improve water quality in the Clark Fork River. This phase of the project builds upon the 2017 installation of a hydrodynamic separator, which removes larger contaminants in stormwater collected in the 60-acre downtown area, under a portion of the park.
Because this project is in Caras Park where the Parks & Recreation Department will soon implement its North Riverside Parks and Trails Plan, the two City departments were able to collaborate. The stormwater project was adapted to comply with the Parks Department’s design plan calling for the hill between the trail and the pavilion to be removed and leveled to the same elevation as the trail. Completing this work in the grassy area of the park and at the same time as the Montana Department of Transportation’s Bear Tracks Bridge construction means less time for the park to be closed.
Another major collaborator in the project is the Downtown Missoula Partnership whose fundraising efforts through the Downtown Missoula Foundation resulted in contributions totaling $__,000, which is 50 percent of the funds needed for the Caras Park portion of the North Riverside Parks and Trails Plan. The Foundation’s donation to the park project at this time allowed the City to bid both the stormwater project and park project construction work at the same time, resulting in the $100,000 savings for the City.
Installation of the infiltration gallery will improve river water quality by diverting the first one-half inch of stormwater into the gallery, preventing many dissolved contaminants, such as grease, oil, and bacteria, and water warmed by the streets from entering the river. Additionally, improving the water quality at the outfall is beneficial to public health and safety because major stormwater contaminants will enter the infiltration system instead of the river just downstream of Brennan’s Wave, a popular river recreation area.
For more information on the stormwater project, see the project page on the City’s website at http://www.ci.missoula.mt.us/2673/Stormwater-Projects.
Details on the North Riverside Parks and Trails Plan is available on the City’s Engage Missoula page at https://www.engagemissoula.com/north-riverside-parks-trails. The Downtown Missoula Foundation’s fundraising campaign for this project can be found at https://indd.adobe.com/view/c86d7f1a-c2b2-4376-a0f5-d57b13b5557c.
Lori Hart, Public Works & Mobility Communications Specialist, (406) 552-6354 office, (406) 830-6077 cell, [email protected]