TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Since 2017, the City of Tallahassee has been working on a storm water drainage system in the Southside area to protect the local environment.
The city's improvements to the Lower Central Drainage Ditch collect water from Frenchtown, Midtown, Downtown, and Southside areas to prevent storm damage.
At one time, the area which extends from Springhill Road to Kissimmee Street was privately owned and contained a lot of trees, waste and debris.
Since the city acquired the land in 2017, they've worked to repair the side banks of the ditch to allow cleaner storm water to flow to Lake Munson.
Jason Smith, with Underground Utilities and Public Infrastructure for the City of Tallahassee, says the city is using an environmentally friendly retaining wall system called gabion baskets.
The system stops the wall from eroding into the water and improves public safety.
These improvements reduce flooding and stopped side walls from eroding.
The renovation allows vegetation to grow and create a safer environment for wildlife.
"We're trying to protect the down stream water resource Lake Munson, we got the environment in mind,"said Smith. "We're trying to reduce flooding and some the dangers that were existing on this ditch."
City of Tallahassee officials say they will most likely finish construction by next spring and then they will start Phase II which will extend the project from Kissimmee St. to Gamble St.
