“What this allows us to do is (filter) the first half-inch of rain that carries a vast majority of the pollutants,” Schultz said. “It’ll go through the hydrodynamic separator to get some of the pollutants out and then it’ll basically be finished off by going to this infiltration gallery so the water that’s discharging to the Clark Fork will be much cleaner and better for aquatic life.”
The park improvements, which are part of the North Riverside Parks and Trails master plan, will include improvements to the Caras Park amphitheater, updates to Ron’s River Trail and the leveling of a mound in Caras Park to make room for a multi-use lawn. McLeod said the flat lawn, which will sit atop the stormwater infiltration gallery, will be a space for people to lay in the sun or throw a Frisbee.
The $71,287 for park improvements will be funded by the city, private fundraising and a $10,000 contribution from the Missoula Downtown Foundation, the Downtown Business Improvement District, respectively, and $5,000 from the Missoula Downtown Association, according to city documents. McLeod said the park improvements will add capacity for future events in Caras Park, which generate revenue for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“I think this is one of the best examples we’ve seen of fiscal responsibility and efficiencies and effectiveness all rolled into one package,” Missoula City Council member Heather Harp said in a Public Works committee meeting on Wednesday. “And I think due to the timing of what we’re facing as a community, this is just a great opportunity to make use of some really quiet downtime in the Caras Park area.”
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