$500k stormwater improvement plan aims to improve Cinco Bayou water quality

Tony Judnich, Northwest Florida Daily News
·2 min read

CINCO BAYOU — A major planned stormwater improvement project at Glenwood Park is expected to benefit local waters, residents and wildlife.

Cinco Bayou town officials plan to use $300,000 in state funding and $211,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act money to pay for the project. Its ultimate goal is to improve the water quality in the park and bayou, Town Manager Keith Williams said recently.

He said state Rep. Patt Maney helped obtain the $300,000 state grant.

Receiving award: Florida Rep. Patt Maney receives Northwest Florida State College AIM Award

Boat basin revamp: Okaloosa Island Boat Basin revamp almost complete with new boardwalk, fishing pier

Debris such as branches and plastics form a small dam in the Glenwood Park creek. The town of Cinco Bayou plans to spend more than $500,000 state and federal money to improve stormwater runoff at the park.
Debris such as branches and plastics form a small dam in the Glenwood Park creek. The town of Cinco Bayou plans to spend more than $500,000 state and federal money to improve stormwater runoff at the park.

Cinco Bayou has a half-square-mile radius and fewer than 500 residents. The 9-acre Glenwood Park on Northeast Opp Boulevard is one of the town’s four parks and has a playground, 641-foot boardwalk and 795-foot nature trail.

It also has a stream that “has been stopped up in heavy rains” while trying to drain to the bayou, Williams said.

The town of Cinco Bayou plans to make stormwater improvements at Glenwood Park. When completed the work will improve water quality in the park, Cinco Bayou and Choctawhatchee Bay.
The town of Cinco Bayou plans to make stormwater improvements at Glenwood Park. When completed the work will improve water quality in the park, Cinco Bayou and Choctawhatchee Bay.

Stormwater runoff from Uptown Station and heavy rain is funneled into the park’s wetlands, according to town information. Williams said while the town of Cinco Bayou is not immune to flooding, no flooding has stemmed from Glenwood Park and that the planned stormwater improvement project will focus on water quality upgrades.

He said the work will start as soon as possible. Its estimated completion date is Sept. 30, 2023, according to the Maney-led state funding request.

In the works: Okaloosa County gets $7.9 million in state funding. View the list of approved projects

The project will include the restoration of the park’s eroded stream channel and vegetated floodplain. In addition, a baffle box — which removes sediment, trash and pollutants from stormwater — will be placed on a stormwater pipe that discharges into the stream.

A turtle (upper right) floats above a sunken sleeping bag in the stream at Glenwood Park. The town of Cinco Bayou plans to spend more than $500,000 in state and federal money to improve stormwater runoff through the park.
A turtle (upper right) floats above a sunken sleeping bag in the stream at Glenwood Park. The town of Cinco Bayou plans to spend more than $500,000 in state and federal money to improve stormwater runoff through the park.

The project is expected to improve the water quality of the park stream, Cinco Bayou and Choctawhatchee Bay and benefit fish and other wildlife, according to the state funding request.

Also, “With the stream flowing properly, there should be a dramatic reduction in mosquitoes,” Williams said.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Cinco Bayou looks to improve water quality with stormwater project