JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Long plagued by flooding after heavy rain, McCoys Creek will be the focus of a major restoration project breaking ground Wednesday in downtown Jacksonville.
City leaders said the McCoys Creek Branches project is intended to help keep water from rising out of the creek by restoring its western headwaters — the upstream areas where stormwater first enters the system.
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McCoys Creek, a shallow urban waterway, drains several neighborhoods west of downtown and has flooded nearby streets during heavy rain for years. Over time, the creek was altered with ditches, barriers and hardened banks that pushed water downstream more quickly, increasing flood risk and carrying pollution into the St. Johns River.
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The current project removes those barriers, reshapes the creek, and restores wetlands that are designed to slow stormwater before it reaches the main channel. In all, nearly 4,800 linear feet of the creek’s headwaters will be restored, along with about 15 acres of streams and wetlands and nearly four acres of open space planned for future recreation.
Officials said the work also addresses environmental damage left behind from past uses of the land. Crews will clean up contaminated soil from a former ash-dumping site and plant more than 10,000 trees, along with tens of thousands of native plants. The plantings are expected to improve water quality and provide habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife.
The project also includes features aimed at improving access to the creek. Plans call for a new pedestrian bridge, future kayak access and pedestrian-friendly pathways that will eventually connect to the Emerald Trail, a growing network of trails and green spaces across Jacksonville.
City and community leaders say those additions could help change how people experience McCoys Creek — from a waterway known mainly for flooding to one that supports recreation and neighborhood connectivity.
Wednesday’s groundbreaking marks another milestone in the broader McCoys Creek restoration effort, which has been in development for several years. Construction begins following the ceremony, with additional phases planned as part of the long-term creek and trail restoration plan.