GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — On a sunny day, you can hear a lot of things at The Highlands off of Leonard Street NW - the footsteps of people walking, the tweets of songbirds and the wind sweeping across the natural area's foliage. One thing you don't hear right now is the babbling of a stream. But rest assured, water is flowing at The Highlands.
"When we built this city, we didn't know any better, and we just wanted to get the water out of our way, so many of our streams are underground," said Carrie Rivette who serves as the Wastewater and Stormwater Maintenance Superintendent for the City of Grand Rapids.
Under The Highlands is a 48-inch pipe that's sending water into Indian Mill Creek, which is a tributary, so eventually that water makes it to the Grand River. One of the issues with the current system, Rivette says, is that the water flows too quickly and because of that, sediment and pollutants don't have a chance to be properly filtered out.
There will be a groundbreaking in July for a project that will "daylight" 1,500 feet of the underground stream. That means crews are going to work to convert that underground pipe back into a natural, above-ground stream which flows more slowly.
"You're going to improve water quality by going through this open process. You're going to have a lot more chance to let the sediment fall out, so you're cleaning your water. You're adding oxygen. Again, you're making it healthier for the river," Rivette said.
The project is also expected to benefit wildlife in the area that depends on natural streams to live. Rivette says people who walk in The Highlands can also expect to receive an added mental health benefit from the stream being brought back above ground.
"Everybody needs to connect with water. If you don't connect with water, you need to and once you do, you'll find out that it's just a peaceful, relaxing thing that brings so much," she said.
People will be able to see the process happen from the walking trails at The Highlands.
The project is a collaboration between the City of Grand Rapids, Kent County, the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, and Blandford Nature Center. You can learn more about The Highlands project by visiting the Land Conservancy's website.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.