Forest Park East Waterways Project
Above, artistic renderings of Jefferson Lake from the south and east perspectives after the Project’s completion.
Forest Park Forever leads the fundraising and manages projects called for in the Forest Park Master Plan—like connecting the Park’s lakes and streams. For the East Waterways Project, our nonprofit conservancy has partnered with the City of St. Louis to restore and greatly improve the lakes in eastern Forest Park and complete the connection of the Taylor Kindle River to Jefferson Lake.
Current Status: Nearing Completion
Pictured above, left to right: Fresh plantings along the river’s edge, with Steinberg and the new pedestrian bridge in the background; a different angle, looking northeast; new trees near the overlook at Clayton, viewed from the east; from the west, a view of where water will cascade below Clayton Avenue, with an existing weeping willow on Jefferson Lake’s western shore.
As the project neared its final steps in winter 2024-25, visitors could grasp a fuller sense of how this project will transform the experience of the eastern end of Forest Park. The river connection has been completed with Jefferson Lake, and visitors can now enjoy new views as the Taylor Kindle River bends west of Steinberg Rink. Dozens of new trees and other plantings line the new sections of the waterway and the southern shores of Jefferson Lake. The ADA-accessible boardwalk now provides access to the lake edge from Clayton Avenue and from the recreational path, enabling another way to experience the water and the wildlife attracted to it.
Still to come: We are waiting for the arrival of railings that will complete the new bridge across the river and the overlook at Clayton, which are necessary steps before they can be opened to pedestrians. While rain has helped partially fill the river connection, the water levels of both Jefferson Lake and Bowl Lake will be raised once a sustained stretch of temperate weather allows.
When spring 2025 arrives, the paths are open and the new plantings start to show their greenery, visitors will enjoy these waterways like never before.
Previous Project Updates
Fall 2024: Bridge, waterfall and boardwalk construction
During late summer 2024, the structure for the waterfall at Clayton Avenue (below right) was taking shape, the new visitor boardwalk (below, left) on the east shore of Jefferson Lake was in place, and bridge and waterway shaping continued north of Jefferson Lake, just west of Steinberg Rink.
Summer 2024
Our conservancy collaborates with fellow greenspace-loving organizations to keep Forest Park a welcoming place for 15.5 million visitors and wildlife.
On Jefferson Lake's south end, where crews are actively constructing a stunning cascade waterfall and visitor plaza, an orange looper-cone marks the nest of a Canadian Goose. And we're excited to report that her goslings just hatched! At the work site, everyone has been keeping their distance from this goose's chosen nest while work happens around these Park residents.
Maintaining an active construction site means heavy equipment traveling in and out of the Park. In addition to protecting wildlife, our nonprofit's work includes protecting tree roots while approximately 1,300 tons of boulders and 600 tons of cobblestones and gravel bars are staged and installed, and sourcing each of the 15-ton pallets locally, in from southeast Missouri.
An orange looper-cone along a gravel pathway marks the location of a goose’s chosen nest
“Jefferson Lake has always been a popular site for fishing and Park views. This project will reshape and enlarge the lake, creating more natural opportunities for fishing and other interactions with nature, while offering visitors new views from the cascading waterfall and a scenic overlook along Clayton Avenue.”
above, Three separate perspectives of Jefferson Lake (south, east & west) show the progression of work in 2024.
Phase III Begins: Jefferson Lake and the Taylor Kindle River connection
Significant progress on this project was made in 2023, setting the stage for the final phase beginning in late November 2023 and continuing throughout 2024.
The most noticeable phase affects Jefferson Lake from end to end. The Taylor Kindle River, which currently terminates just west of Steinberg, will extend to the north end of Jefferson Lake to complete the waterways connection. Invasive and other unwieldy plants that previously obscured the waterway’s end point have been removed (below, left), which will open up views of the green space, Steinberg Rink and Central West End skyline from Faulkner Drive.
At the south end of Jefferson Lake a stunning cascade waterfall and visitor plaza will be constructed, surrounded by a restored meadow on soil that has been fortified by our team over the last two years.
Project renderings are at the bottom of this page.
Phase II Work Accomplished: Both Round Lake and Bowl Lake were drained and restoration work took place throughout summer and fall 2023.
At Round Lake, the historic fountain that dated back to 1916 was replaced, with new plumbing and supply lines among other behind-the-scenes improvements. The result is a new fountain that can run through all seasons, and — for the first time at Round Lake — is lighted for visual interest at night.
The pictures above show the artistic rendering from SWT Design compared to an aerial view of Round lake in the spring of 2024.
More project renderings are at the bottom of this page.
At Bowl Lake, an education pavilion pictured above — and the Park’s first shoreside pavilion — was constructed with landscape enhancements throughout. When complete, a path to the pavilion will run from the Park’s dual recreation path and from Seven Pools, a water feature also being restored with significant work on its surface, input and rock weirs.
More project renderings are at the bottom of this page.
“By completing the final connection of the waterways, we are achieving a number of meaningful sustainability wins, including reducing the need for municipal water into the system, capturing stormwater runoff, improving the water quality and increasing the biodiversity here in the Park.”
Project Work & Management
This project has been led by the City of St. Louis and Forest Park Forever. Companies working on the East Waterways project include SWT Design (lead), Abna, Cole, AFH Design, Applied Ecological Consulting and Hydro Dramatics. H3 Studios has provided program management and professional consulting. The Missouri Department of Conservation, which manages the urban fishing program at Jefferson Lake, has been a key advisor to the design team to ensure a healthy fishery in the waterbodies.
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce this transformative project to the community. For millions of visitors, Forest Park’s river system and lakes are central to their enjoyment. The Park’s waterways also play an important role as a wildlife corridor for the region, and we are proud of our ongoing work to preserve and improve these natural features. I would like to thank the generous Forest Park Forever donors who have made these improvements possible and our City of St. Louis partners.”
Importance of the River System
Meandering for 2.5 nautical miles from west to east, the river system is the backbone of Forest Park, the singular feature that stretches across the majority of the Park’s 1,300 acres. Together with the riparian buffer around it, the river system is beloved by Park visitors and an important corridor providing water, shelter and forage for wildlife. The waterway is home to ducks, turtles, mink, egrets, herons and more.
More History & Context is provided in the accordion below.
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When the project was announced in 2019, construction was initially expected to begin as early as 2020. However, the pandemic in early 2020 delayed both the project plan and bidding process. In 2022, Forest Park Forever and the City recalibrated the timeline and bidding approach, and the project will be accomplished in phases, with soil prep work and other activities at Jefferson Lake and Bowl Lake in 2022-23.
Forest Park Forever and the City will update visitors throughout construction about how the work may impact visitor access.
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Focused on the waterways on the eastern side of Forest Park, which to date have not been restored like those in the center and on the western half, this project has four central sites:
1. Round Lake: The project will replace the historic, malfunctioning fountain (maintaining the historic character), restore and enhance the shoreline, plant a new generation of bald cypress trees and improve water quality and circulation in this picturesque, circular lake.
2. New Channel Connecting River System to Jefferson Lake: Forest Park’s river system currently ends just northwest of Steinberg Skating Rink. A new channel will extend the river system so that it connects to Jefferson Lake to the south. Features will include a cascade and gravel bar, picnic lawn and meadow, footbridge, visitor trails and seating area.
3. Jefferson Lake: At this popular site for fishing and scenic enjoyment, the project will reshape and enlarge the lake, create more natural opportunities for fishing, create a cascading waterfall and overlook along Clayton Ave., and build an underground connection for water flow from Bowl Lake to Jefferson Lake.
4. Seven Pools & Bowl Lake: The distinctive and historic water feature Seven Pools and its historic bridge will be restored. Bowl Lake, which in recent years has been overtaken by invasive species and lotus, will be dredged, deepened, reshaped and refilled; new plantings will enhance the landscape; new shoreline areas or landings will be available for Park visitors; spaces will be created for educational programming with community organizations in mind; and a new berm at the south end will create more of a buffer from I-64.
“We are absolutely thrilled to announce this transformative project to the community,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth, President and Executive Director of Forest Park Forever. “For millions of visitors, Forest Park’s river system and lakes are central to their enjoyment. The Park’s waterways also play an important role as a wildlife corridor for the region, and we are proud of our ongoing work to preserve and improve these natural features. I would like to thank the generous Forest Park Forever donors who have made these improvements possible and our City of St. Louis partners.”
“This project greatly improves Forest Park itself and the visitor experience,” said Greg Hayes, Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry for the City of St. Louis. “In addition, by completing the final connection of the waterways, we are achieving a number of meaningful sustainability wins, including reducing the need for municipal water into the system, capturing stormwater runoff, improving the water quality and increasing the biodiversity here in the Park.”
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In summer 2018, project leaders held open houses in Forest Park, at O’Fallon Park and at Carondelet Park, discussing this project with community members, listening to suggestions and answering questions.
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Over the past 20 years, the lakes and streams within Forest Park have been gradually linked together and transformed into connected waterways. This effort, as envisioned by the 1995 Forest Park Master Plan, has reshaped the way visitors interact with water in Forest Park. The designs announced today bring to completion these plans created by the community more than two decades ago.
The nonprofit conservancy Forest Park Forever and the City of St. Louis announced plans in late 2019 to restore and greatly improve one of Forest Park’s most iconic and beloved features: the river system and lakes enjoyed by visitors and wildlife alike. The onset of the COVID pandemic delayed the permit and bidding process, while rising construction costs led to revising our approach to a three-phased process. To reduce costs as the permit and bidding processes resumed, site prep work began in 2022 at Bowl Lake and around Jefferson Lake.
The East Waterways Project Includes
• Beautifying three lakes, improving access to the shorelines and adding visitor amenities;
• Creating a new channel and adding underground recirculation and stormwater collection systems to fully connect the Park’s river system and reduce water use;
• Creating a new visitor overlook and waterfall at Jefferson Lake
• Adding an education pavilion at Bowl Lake
• Restoring the historic Seven Pools
• Planting nearly 500 new trees
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The City of St. Louis and Forest Park Forever are pleased to announce that the river system that flows through Forest Park has been named the Taylor Kindle River, in honor of the late Jack C. Taylor and his extraordinary support of the Park over many decades.
“Jack Taylor was a visionary civic leader and benefactor for the St. Louis region, including Forest Park,” said Lesley S. Hoffarth. “We are pleased that his legacy will continue to be honored with the Taylor Kindle River that flows through the park he loved and supported so much.”
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This East Waterways project is being funded by donors to Forest Park Forever’s recently completed Forever capital and endowment campaign. The project cost is $10.5 million for design and construction. The project’s lead donors are:
• Rudolph and Mary Wise
• Bayer
• The Bellwether Foundation
• The Caroline Loughlin Fund
• The William R. Orthwein, Jr. and Laura Rand Orthwein Foundation
• Spire
• The Dana Brown Charitable Trust
• Interco Charitable Trust, in honor of Lee Liberman
Following the project’s completion, the new ongoing maintenance costs for this project area will be funded by Forest Park Forever’s donor-supported annual budget and the City of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department.
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This is a Sustainable SITES Initiative Project
We are proud to share that this Forest Park waterways project is registered as a Sustainable SITES project. The SITES v2 Rating System is a set of national guidelines and performance-based metrics that align land development and management with innovative sustainable design, covering areas such as soil, vegetation, water, materials and human health and well-being. The project aims to earn this recognition as it incorporates ecosystem services for the landscape and the Park; connects the waterway system; reduces potable water input; manages stormwater onsite; and restores plantings to enhance the area.
In summer 2018, East Waterways Project leaders held open houses to discussing the Project with community members, listening to suggestions and answering questions.
Project Renderings
