Client:

Tri-County Regional Planning Commission,
City of Peoria, Peoria County

Other Consultants:

Dr. Gerould Wilhelm, Ph.D.

Category:

Planning and Analysis

Threatened with tons of silt and erosion each year, the Mossville Bluffs watershed, amongst many of Peoria Lake's watersheds, contributes a significant amount of silt into the lake. Once a clear lake eight to ten feet deep, the silted lake is now a murky, shallow body of water that is only two feet deep on average.

Challenged to find a solution, the Tri-County Planning Commission, the City of Peoria, and Peoria County selected the consultant team to complete a watershed restoration master plan. As team leader, the landscape architect directed numerous professionals in the evaluation and analysis of many complex issues.

The completed master plan proposes a watershed restoration approach that includes a review of the cultural and natural history of the watershed, a description of restoration tools, and an implementation strategy. In the coming years, as the plan becomes implemented one parcel at a time, the Natural Rainwater Management Model will gradually make its return and transform a failing watershed into one that is thriving, diverse, and sustainable.