Lions Park
Less Pollution. More Solutions
Heavy Metals, Landfill Waste, And Lead Flowing Through The Big Wood River No More! This Project Will Stop Further Waste Leaching, Reconnect Flood Flows To Wetlands And Minimize Flood Risk To Our Community.
PROBLEMS AND LIMITING FACTORS AND HISTORY
Lions Park is located just west of Hailey, Idaho. The parcel is owned by the City of Hailey and was used as the city landfill for more than 70 years starting in the early 1900s. During this time, the Big Wood River was constrained, and trash and fill were dumped along its banks and in the river. In the 1970s, the landfill was capped with soil and the area was converted into a park with a ball field and a large gravel area that was used as the city’s snow storage area until 2021.
​
Historically the Lions Park area was a functioning floodway and floodplain of the Big Wood River and provided ideal habitat for fish and wildlife. Reconnecting the BWR to its western floodplain in the Croy Creek wetlands is an effort to restore historic habitats along the river. Also reconnecting floodplains where there are no homes or critical infrastructure will provide flood mitigation to residents of Hailey. This project is an effort to reverse historic actions that have reduced fish and wildlife habitat and caused increased flooding impacts to the community.
PROJECT GOALS & BENEFITS
This project is in the pre-conceptual phase, with several restoration treatment options on the table. The goals include:
-
Remove landfill waste material, to prevent further leaching of heavy metals, including lead, into the river.
-
Reconnect flood flows to the Croy Creek wetland complex, to increase flood conveyance capacity, groundwater recharge, and minimize flood risk to downstream neighborhoods.