MU will spend nearly $60,000 to build two new bio retention areas near Providence Point in an effort to reduce storm water pollution in Hinkson Creek. The areas are small man-made depressions filled with plants and soils that help filter and retain storm water, keeping it from overflowing and polluting the creek.
Director of Campus Facilities Pete Millier said building the bio retention areas is a small step toward better storm water management for Hinkson Creek.
“We’re not going to intercept all the water that can get into the Hinkson, but bit by bit the more of these features that we incorporate - we slow it down, we hang onto it, we filter some of it - it’s going to benefit the Hinkson,” Miller said.
Miller also said there are plans to build more bio retention areas around the city and that multiple entities are getting involved.
“Now it’s not something new and exotic,” he said, “It’s ‘yeah! This is what we do’ we build these storm water areas so that we can reduce the amount of storm water and clean up some of it as well.”
The university works closely with the city, Boone County and MU researchers to determine best practices for storm water pollution management.
