The South Fork of Peachtree Creek runs through the heart of Atlanta, Georgia. Like most of the city’s waterways, Peachtree Creek is an urban oasis for wildlife, but its health is threatened by several stressors including pollution from stormwater runoff. In one of the most densely populated areas of the city, South Fork Conservancy is working to help protect the creek and connect communities to healthy greenspace.

By creating a partnership with neighborhood groups , the Department of Parks and Recreation, the Department of Watershed Management, and the Trust for Public Land, SFC was able to spearhead the creation of a new public greenspace  —Armand Park.

The park was created with recreational and educational opportunities for community members to engage with the watershed, while at the same time protecting the creek’s hydrology. Highlights of the groundbreaking design include a natural rock-climbing wall, mushroom stools, and a slide built right into the side of a hill. Next steps for the project include creating a series of flumes to stop runoff from rushing into the creek and creating a new trail segment to connect the park to the 2-mile Confluence Trail.

The riverbed-themed flumes will slowly channel runoff from local roads safely into the South Fork. Currently, over 2.3 million gallons of runoff rushes untreated into the creek each year at this one location. This runoff brings pollutants and silt and erodes the fragile stream bank. Once installed, after each rain a series of “puddle pools” will slowly fill with water before gently filtering out to the South Fork. Children will have the opportunity to splash in the shallow pools and observe the natural water cycle. The flumes will also provide habitat to native plants and wildlife, providing critical environmental benefits.