Watershed Management Plan (2023)

The City is working with engineering firm Intuition & Logic to develop a citywide Watershed Management Plan to plan for future stormwater infrastructure improvements. This project is funded by the city's Parks and Stormwater Sales Tax, and will include several opportunities for public input including a questionnaire and a series of open houses.

What is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land. All the rain that falls or snow that melts within a watershed either evaporates, infiltrates into the ground, or eventually finds its way to one point. That point can be a creek, stream, river, lake, reservoir or ocean.

The City of Creve Coeur has two watersheds, Creve Coeur Creek and Deer Creek. The Creve Coeur Creek watershed is roughly the area west of I-270. The Deer Creek watershed is roughly the area east of I-270. You can learn more about watersheds at the National Geographic website or the National Ocean Service (NOAA) website.

Students from a local elementary school were learning about the water cycle and shared a glossary of terms with us. They learned a lot from this website, and we hope you and your family do too.

Open Houses

As part of the planning process, residents are invited to attend upcoming open houses.

• Open House #1: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 • 6:30-8:00 p.m. • Creve Coeur Government Center, Multipurpose Room (300 N. New Ballas Rd.)
• Open House #2: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 • 6:00-7:30 p.m. • Creve Coeur Government Center, Multipurpose Room (300 N. New Ballas Rd.) 
• Open House #3: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 • 6:00-7:30 p.m. • Creve Coeur Government Center, Multipurpose Room (300 N. New Ballas Rd.)
• Open House #4 - Wednesday, December 13, 2023 • 6:00-7:30 p.m. • Creve Coeur Government Center, Multipurpose Room (300 N. New Ballas Rd.)

Open House #1 Materials

• Creve Coeur SWMP Creek Condition Assessment Study Reaches - I&L engineers walked and assessed the condition of each of the creeks shown on the map.
• Channel Condition Scoring Matrix - The Channel Condition Scoring Matrix shows the criteria that was used to consistently score all the creeks shown on the Creve Coeur SWMP study reaches map. 
• Open House #1 Presentation - The Open House #1 Presentation gives an overview of the Watershed Management Plan's goals & objectives, study components, data collection efforts, and prioritization ranking methodology. 
• Prioritization Ranking  - The Prioritization Ranking will be used consistently across the City and over time to quantify the risks of identified stormwater management issues. 
• Stormwater Issue Spectrum - The Stormwater Issue Spectrum shows examples of stormwater issues ranging from low risk to high risk. 

Open House #2 Materials

• Open House #2 Presentation - The Open House #2 Presentation gives an overview of the Watershed Management Plan's goals & objectives, study components, data collection efforts, and prioritization ranking methodology. 
• Watershed Management Plan Project Areas - Map of identified stormwater project areas in Creve Coeur.
• Watershed Management Plan Complaint Sites - Map of identified stormwater complaint sites in Creve Coeur.
• Watershed Management Plan Dominant Process - Identifies different levels of erosion present in Creve Coeur streams.
  • Stream Dominant Process - Illustrates different levels of erosion present in streams.
• Watershed Management Plan Channel Condition - Identifies different channel conditions present in Creve Coeur.
  • Channel Condition Scoring Matrix - The Channel Condition Scoring Matrix shows the criteria that was used to consistently score all the creeks shown on the Creve Coeur SWMP study reaches map.  
• Prioritization Ranking - The Prioritization Ranking will be used consistently across the City and over time to quantify the risks of identified stormwater management issues.  
• Stormwater Issue Spectrum - The Stormwater Issue Spectrum shows examples of stormwater issues ranging from low risk to high risk. 

Open House #3 Materials

• Reported Issues – Did you report a stormwater issue? If you did, you can find a one-page summary of each reported issue. The summary includes a project description and the engineering team’s recommendation. If you have additional information to share about the issue, please email DGarson@crevecoeurmo.gov or call 314-274-2107. Issues are organized geographically. The Creve Coeur Watershed is roughly west of I-270, and the Deer Creek Watershed is roughly east of I-270. View the maps below to find the yellow flag identifier associated with your project; then use that identifier to find your project description in the PDF.
  • North Creve Coeur Creek Watershed Map >>> North Creve Coeur Creek Watershed Project Descriptions
  • South Creve Coeur Creek Watershed Map >>> South Creve Coeur Creek Watershed Project Descriptions
  • West Deer Creek Watershed Map >>> West Deer Creek Watershed Project Descriptions
  • East Deer Creek Watershed Map >>> East Deer Creek Watershed Project Descriptions
• Private Projects – This display shows a map of the reported issues that were determined to be private issues. The list of criteria that the City uses to distinguish between private and public stormwater issues is also shown on this display.
• Grade Control and Bank Stabilization Details – Learn about some of the design features that can be used to address erosion and stabilize creek banks.
• Overland Flow Controls – See the different strategies that can be used to manage stormwater in yards or on streets.
• Open House #3 had displays from Open House #1 and #2 including: 
  • Stormwater Issue Spectrum
  • Stream Dominant Process
  • Prioritization Ranking

How Identified Stormwater Issues Can Become City-Funded Projects

Report a concern

Do you have a stormwater concern that you would like the City to investigate? If so, please contact the Department of Public Works at (314) 872-2533, or fill out an online service request form by clicking here.  

FEMA Resources

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) protects U.S. residents against the hardships of flooding. To learn more about the NFIP and how it can help you, please read the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) brochure Answers to Questions about the NFIP. Even if your home is not in a high-risk flood zone, you may benefit from having flood insurance. On average, 40% of NFIP flood insurance claims are outside high-risk flood areas. Learn more with the Why Do I Need Flood Insurance brochure. 

FEMA has information specifically for renters in the Flood Insurance for Renters brochure. If you live in a condo, you may want to read the brochure Flood Insurance for Condominium Associations. 

Stormwater Tips

Stormwater management involves planning and accounting for how rain acts once it lands. The city encourages its residents to incorporate good stormwater management practices into their property maintenance and improvement projects.

To this end, the city’s Stormwater Committee has compiled stormwater management advice for homeowners.

MSD Project Clear - Stormwater Tips

• Illicit Discharge Prevention
• Proper Pet Waste Disposal
• Draining Household Pools Safely
• Winter Pollution Prevention
• Yard Waste Disposal and Lawn Care

Property Maintenance

• Make sure your gutters are cleaned regularly.
• Direct downspouts away from your home’s foundation so that stormwater flows away from your home.

Vegetation and Trees

• Add compost to landscape areas to promote plant roots and water soaking into the ground.
• Consider native grasses and plants that have extensive root systems.
• Add trees to your yard to provide a canopy over paved surfaces.  This will provide shade, will spread out rain, and will promote stormwater infiltration and evaporation.
• Add a rain garden or a bio swale to help soak up stormwater and limit runoff.
• Add a rain barrel to one of your downspouts to collect stormwater for watering plants.

Improvement Projects

• Consider making new pathways, parking areas, or driveways out of permeable pavers so that some of the rain that hits these surfaces will soak into the ground.
• Landscaping professionals, landscape architects, and engineers can provide advice and designs for how your project can manage stormwater through grading, plantings, and best-management practices.
• Several local and state agencies provide guidance for stormwater management on their websites:
  • Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD)
  • Missouri Botanical Garden
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources

The Stormwater Committee welcomes attendance at its meetings, where residents can discuss their concerns and seek advice from the Committee. The Stormwater Committee meets every other month. The city’s meeting calendar can be found here.