Visitors to the eastern side of Forest Park this summer will notice significant work underway at Bowl Lake and Round Lake, two of the primary features of the East Waterways capital project. The work is part of the second phase of the project, which will enhance the visitor experience of these lakes and also connect them with the rest of the 2.5 nautical mile waterway that runs through the Park.

Major donors or their representatives for the project marked the kickoff of this phase with Forest Park Forever and St. Louis City leaders at a ceremonial groundbreaking on June 27.

Bowl Lake was drained and dredged last summer in preparation for its restoration, and Round Lake was drained in June to prepare for the replacement of its picturesque but century-old fountain. Overall, this summer’s work includes:

• Restoration of Seven Pools, a cascading waterfall that flows into Bowl Lake from the northeast, and which was last active in 201i9

• Enhancing the shoreline and building a waterside pavilion at Bowl Lake, oriented for accessibility to educators and families

• Draining Round Lake, removing and replacing the fountain that dates back to 1916, replacing the infrastructure and enhancing the shoreline

Meanwhile at Jefferson Lake, the Forest Park Forever team continues to prepare the shoreline to suppress invasive species and strengthen the soil in preparation for shoreline transition from turf (grass) to meadow, part of the third phase of the project scheduled for 2024.

Forest Park’s Master Plan, approved by City leaders in 1995, envisioned a connected waterway that flows from the Cascades near the western edge of Forest Park along Lagoon Drive to Jefferson Lake. It also envisions a sustainable, healthy system that conserves water, supports wildlife and draws visitors to interesting features throughout the newly flowing river. This project will complete that vision and connect to the Taylor Kindle River that currently terminates just west of Steinberg Rink and Pavilion.

“The project to connect the Park’s waterway and create new destinations for families, school children and nature lovers in our region would not be possible without this partnership between very generous donors in our region who have made gifts to Forest Park Forever and the several dynamic, hardworking departments from the City of St. Louis,” said Lesley Hoffarth, Forest Park Forever President and Executive Director.

Round Lake has long been a beautiful area that attracts families to sit and relax while enjoying its iconic fountain and bald cypress trees. But for many years the pumps and other equipment at the fountain have failed, often taking days or even weeks to repair, said Greg Hayes, Director of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry for the City of St. Louis.

“We are very excited to restore this feature so that it will bring joy to families for many years to come,” Hayes said. “The work at Bowl Lake, Seven Pools and Jefferson Lake is just as exciting,” he added, noting that the Bowl Lake waterside pavilion will be the first of its kind in Forest Park.

Rich Bradley, President of the Board of Public Services (BPS), also spoke at the ceremony, representing the close coordination between Forest Park Forever and City departments in managing this intricate project. BPS is responsible for all public works and improvements undertaken by the City

Bradley referenced the Park’s World’s Fair history, when River Des Peres was put below ground, leaving disconnected ponds and lagoons throughout the Park that were expensive to maintain, consumed a lot of water and had poor water quality. “This project will help us conserve more water, and perhaps most importantly, continue to beautify this great Park,” he said.

These leaders were joined by Kelly Harris of the Forest Park Advisory Board, and City representatives Shameem Clark Hubbard, alderwoman for Ward 10, and Michael Browning, alderman for Ward 9. Several donors who have supported this project were also represented, including Rhae Yancey from the Dana Brown Charitable Trust, Al Mitchell from Bayer, Jessica Willingham from Spire, Andy Glaser and Mike Milne representing the Rudolph and Mary Wise Trust, and Ann Liberman, a long-time supporter of Forest Park Forever.

Follow updates on this project at forestparkforever.org/eastwaterways.