MISSOULA — After years of consideration, a section of Grant Greek will return to a more natural state once work on the project begins in the coming year.
Members of the Missoula City Council this week approved an agreement with Daugherty Ranch LLC to acquire easements to the creek on a 6-0 vote, with several members absent.
The project hasn't had any major opposition and will receive official approval on Monday night.
“This is an (American Rescue Plan Act) funded project through a competitive grant,” said city engineer Andy Schultz. “The project will restore Grant Creek to a more natural state, but also will contain that floodplain. The floodplain extends over a big swath of the property due to shallow flooding.”
The creek bed has been severely altered over the past century, transforming the waterway into little more than a canal with little to no vegetative cover. The agreement with the ranch includes the installation of a swale south of Broadway.
Schultz said the swale is intended to redirect water during a 100-year flooding event. During those episodes, high water can over-top Broadway and flood the adjacent field.
“The swale will collect that water that over-tops the road,” he said. “That swale will direct the water back into Grant Creek. The swale is expected to only see flood waters during a 100-year event or greater, so it's mostly dry.”
Restoration of Grant Creek was initially included in a city-county application to fund the Mullan BUILD project. At the time, the entire project was estimated at around $24 million. However, the project received just $13 million in federal funding, leaving many portions of the greater Mullan project unfunded.
Since then, the city and county have levied new development fees for the area to help expedite some portions of the unfunded work. Some road connections remain unfinished but are planned, and Grant Creek remains a project in waiting.
Last month, Schultz said restoration could start as soon as fall.
“We are wrapping up 100% design plans and submitting to FEMA,” said Schultz. “The plan is to bid this fall. Depending on winter conditions, they can start in the winter, but likely spring construction and the project would wrap up in the fall of 2025.”
As planned, the project will create a meandering creek cut into a 200-foot floodplain corridor. It will also include an additional floodplain buffer that extends 100 feet to either side of the creek.
