VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — You may have noticed it snowed quite a lot last week. When it snows, much of that melted liquid can actually pollute and sometimes even flood our local waterways.
A significant amount of stormwater can flow from the tops of our houses or from our roads. With stormwater being a huge issue in the area—whether caused by a snowstorm or a rainstorm—News 3 decided to learn more about some of the ways one local city is trying to combat the issue. In Virginia Beach, officials are in the process of building the Bow Creek Stormwater Park.
“It will provide stormwater storage, so as there’s an increase in runoff from heavy rain events, the park here will actually retain some of that water and release it slowly into surrounding water bodies to alleviate flooding,” said Jeff Van Fossen, a project manager with the city.
Watch previous coverage: Construction underway for Bow Creek Stormwater Park project in Virginia Beach
Built on the site of an old golf course right behind the Bow Creek Recreation Center, this park will not only help with flooding, but also benefit the environment, as the water will have to run through pump stations once it enters the basin in the park.
“That will include some various wetland-type plantings, which will provide opportunities to see some wildlife viewing that you might not see in other parts of the city. There will be some passive trails, some walking trails,” Van Fossen told News 3.
But why the Bow Creek neighborhood specifically? If you look at a map of Virginia Beach, the closest body of water to the neighborhood is Mount Trashmore, which is about 2 miles away. By providing an area like this park, the stormwater will have somewhere to go. It’s something that Bob Jennings, a resident of nearby Windsor Woods, welcomes with open arms. Jennings’ house flooded during Hurricane Matthew, a situation he does not want anyone else to experience.
Watch related coverage: Virginia Beach residents raise concern for future project at Pleasure House Point
“I think this is gonna be another amenity that the city has, which is a great step in the right direction. Turning something that was a big problem into something that is gonna be a feature and amenity for all the folks to enjoy,” he said.
This is a huge project, slated to cost more than $100 million from start to finish. The goal is to have the first phase completed by 2027, with the full project finished by 2030.
“It’s going to be something that folks all over the city and probably other cities will come to enjoy, just like Mount Trashmore,” Jennings said.
For a full link to the project, click here.
