Sheridan prepares to move forward with the Eco restoration project.

The city of Sheridan and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are moving forward in a partnership project to improve aquatic, wetland and riparian habitat along Goose Creek and its two largest tributaries, Little Goose Creek and Big Goose Creek.

Toward the end of the summer season, the water increases in temperature due to the shallow flow, according to Sheridan city engineer Hanns Mercer. The resulting flow decrease has caused the surrounding ecosystem to degrade. The ecosystem restoration project will increase the depth of water through the flow and add other improvements, increasing fish habitat and riparian habitat both in the aquatic and terrestrial areas, as well as re-establishing connectivity with sections of the creek, Mercer said.

Phase 1 of the project will begin this summer season with bids expected to be announced this month to begin the installation of a boulder cluster, j-hooks and riffles (a shallow landform in a flowing channel) in the Sheltered Acres Park area to the concrete flood control channel. 

During an appearance on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse, Mercer explained the phases of the project to listeners. 

The plan also includes recreation features that complement the ecosystem restoration components, including adding new trails, benches and educational interpretive signage, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers. The project was designed to be compatible with maintaining the existing flood protection that the channel and levee system provides, and no project features will increase flood risks for the city.

In 1963, construction of the Sheridan flood control project was completed under the authority of the Flood Control Act of 1950, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers. 

The 1963 flood control project was designed to protect the city from Goose Creek and Little Goose Creek flood discharges, consisting of levees, drainage structures, concrete chutes and drop structures, and channel alterations. Although the flood control project is operating as intended, the ecosystem in the vicinity of the project has become severely degraded, calling for the necessity of the project. 

Total cost of phase one and two is an estimated $7.7 million. Sheridan’s portion of that cost is $1.4 million worth of land, easements, ROW, in-kind work and $550,000 in cash.