A ribbon cutting for newly reconstructed parking lots at City Government Plaza in Springfield is set for this morning (5/22) at 10:30. The grant-funded project is designed to demonstrate ways of managing stormwater to reduce the amount of runoff and pollution that reach area streams. The lots now include pervious pavement, rain gardens and a bioswale that allow rainwater to soak into the ground rather than running off.
The project is a partnership of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and the City of Springfield. It was part of the Springfield-Greene County Urban Watershed Stewardship Project Grant, a $1.1 million federal grant awarded to WCO in 2011 by U.S. EPA Region 7.
The required 40 percent match was provided through in-kind staff time from the city and grant partners, and city matching funds from the 2006 Parks/Waterways Sales Tax dedicated for lake, waterway and stream improvements.
