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Forest Park Forever and the city of St. Louis announced plans to restore and greatly improve one of Forest Park’s most iconic and beloved features: the river system and lakes enjoyed by visitors and wildlife alike.
Groundbreaking is scheduled for the first half of 2020, and will take between 18 and 24 months to complete. Forest Park Forever and the city will update visitors throughout construction about how the work may impact visitor access.
Officials said the improvements will focus on the waterways on the eastern side of Forest Park, which to date, have not been restored like those in the center and on the western half. Highlights include beautifying three lakes, improving access to the shorelines and adding visitor amenities, creating a new visitor overlook and waterfall at Jefferson Lake, and planting nearly 500 new trees.
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce this transformative project to the community,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth, president and executive director of Forest Park Forever. “For millions of visitors, Forest Park’s river system and lakes are central to their enjoyment. The Park’s waterways also play an important role as a wildlife corridor for the region, and we are proud of our ongoing work to preserve and improve these natural features. I would like to thank the generous Forest Park Forever donors who have made these improvements possible and our city of St. Louis partners.”
“This project greatly improves Forest Park itself and the visitor experience,” said Greg Hayes, director of parks, recreation and forestry for the city of St. Louis. “In addition, by completing the final connection of the waterways, we are achieving a number of meaningful sustainability wins, including reducing the need for municipal water into the system, capturing storm-water runoff, improving the water quality and increasing the biodiversity here in the park.”
Over the past 20 years, the lakes and streams within Forest Park have been gradually linked together and transformed into connected waterways. This effort, as envisioned by the 1995 Forest Park master plan, has reshaped the way visitors interact with water in Forest Park. The new designs will bring to completion these plans created by the community more than two decades ago.
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