The City and the Purgatory Creek Watershed Board are involved in a joint project that will substantially change the appearance of the Purgatory Creek Recreation Area. If you’ve driven by there lately (Technology Drive and Prairie Center Drive), you have noticed the digging equipment and the trucks hauling dirt, mud and muck out of the wetland area. Here are some shots of what it looks like close up:
and:
The project is a “clean waters” project that involves the removal of 77,000 cubic yards of material out of the wetlands to create a better functioning 13 acre pond. It also includes the removal of dead trees and other obstructions. It will not only improve the environmental condition of the PCRA, but also its general appearance as well.
It also includes the Gathering Bridge to honor the memory of the late Mayor Dr. Jean Harris.
Total project cost: $4,000,000. We split the cost 50/50 with the Watershed Board. It’s a project that has been on our drawing board for many years. The project started in mid-January and is supposed to be completed by March. The extremely cold weather has been perfect of this project. Frozen muck is much easier to move than warm mushy muck, I’m told.
Here’s a couple of shots of the area from the top of the SW Metro parking deck:
and:
