Note: Originally published as print-only in The CWE Griffin Newspaper.

Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis have made significant strides in connecting Forest Park’s east waterways and completing transformative improvements as a part of the 1995 Forest Park Master Plan.

The East Waterways Project is the largest and final phase of the non-profit’s Forever Campaign.

Under this $10.5 million campaign, three of the park’s lakes were restored and improved with better access to shorelines and new visitor amenities. Round Lake was reopened in November 2023 to its originally designed depth with a new, all-season fountain lighted at night for visual interest. This lake dates from 1876 when Forest Park opened, and the original fountain dating back to 1917 is being preserved.

Construction at Bowl Lake that began about a year and half ago is almost finished, with expectations to be filled with water in this spring. A new, green hexagonal education pavilion — the park’s first shoreside pavilion — sits along a recreational path.

Jefferson Lake will see the biggest transformation. The popular fishing site is being enlarged, reshaped and completely re-imagined. There will be a boardwalk and picnic pavilion, replacing the fishing dock, and an overlook along Clayton Avenue above a beautiful, cascading waterfall feature. The changes are intended to create more natural fishing opportunities and scenic enjoyment.

The final phase of the East Waterways Project is building an underground connection for water between Bowl Lake and Jefferson Lake. These two standalone lakes will recirculate water through underground pumps and motors that and through the waterfall itself.

It’s almost like a fish tank,” described Dave Lenczycki, director of park planning and projects at Forest Park Forever. “We’re recirculating the water within the fish tank, and then also by having waterfalls and cascades, that aerates the water and that improves water quality and prevents algae. and the fish and the habitats love it. That was the full vision of the master plan, to have this beautiful, linear, connected water- way system.”

The additional sustainability efforts include rain gardens with very deliberate, Missouri-native plantings. Runoff rainwater, as it comes off the street, will flow through these natural rain gardens and be cleaned before it contaminates the lake.

Jefferson Lake also will include a “freeboard,” or flood control feature that will help hold excess water longer before it gets into the stormwater system and adds to the stress of flooding issues in surrounding neighborhoods.

“So the water levels of the lake will rise, not flood, but rise in a rainstorm,” Lenczycki said. “Because the lakes are so big, even though the lakes will be going up and down two or three feet, it’s going to be barely noticeable just because the lake is so gigantic. So, it’s not going to be something that looks ugly when it’s full, it’s just going to be natural.”

This will continue to be a very passive, recreational area ideal for going for a run, riding a bike or walking a dog. The vision is to maintain the very water-forward, natural, peaceful atmosphere to this section of Forest Park.

“For example,” Lenczycki said, “we’re super excited about our basketball courts. Well, there’s a reason why we didn’t add basketball courts to this kind of sleepy side of the park. We added basketball courts to [the area] we already have handball courts, racquetball courts, tennis courts. That’s the appropriate spot for courts, according to the master plan.”

The new basketball courts are under construction, located directly north of the Forest Park Forever visitors center, and should be completely finished later this summer 2024.

“That’s what I’m excited about, those visitor experiences,” Lenczycki said. “We just want to have the park be a welcoming and great place for visitors to come and have fun. We’re really proud and happy to give people that experience.”