https://www.cityofclive.com/project_detail_T51_R816.php

 

Little Walnut Creek Streambank Stabilization, Trail & Habitat Restoration

Update Oct. 1, 2025 from Rai:

The trail project is nearing completion. Our contractors have finished pavement striping and are working on installation of the trail counter. We are waiting on the seed supplier and will notify you when seeding is complete. While the trail closure signs are still up, please note that the site has not been fully cleared of hazardous material, and is not yet intended for public use.

Update Sep. 16, 2025 from Rai:

The trail project is nearing completion. This week, our contractors are working on pavement striping and installation of the trail counter. In the next two weeks, we anticipate seeding restoration activities. While the trail closure signs are still up, please note that the site has not been fully ‘cleaned’ for public use. At minimum, there is dirt everywhere. At maximum, there are chunks of rebar and other construction materials that would be really painful to fall on.

Update Sep. 5, 2025 from Rai:

The soil quality restoration work and seeding adjacent to the trail should be in the next two weeks. The ‘extra fancy compost-amended soil’ is to help absorb the stormwater runoff generated by the trail.

They will be installing a pedestrian counter near the bridge.

Through an unintended oversight, I missed the gap between the warranty with the stream contractor and the establishment mowing contract. Now there are tall weeds. They are mostly annuals (ragweed, from what I've encountered). My goal is to contract a 2-year establishment mowing period beginning next year. That won't prevent 2026 germination but should reduce the weed seed bank for 2027. Just to set some creek-visibility expectations: the final vegetation is also tall (1-4 feet, riparian prairie/savannah mix) and after the establishment period we will not mow or hire mowed. But! Read on!

As the trail project wraps up, they'll install a few focal point pathways down to water's edge in mulch, for those that want to get down near the creek without wading through prairie. We designed slopes that are much more walkable. So even though you may not have line of sight to our beloved Little Walnut all the time, it is intended to be more exploration-friendly than the prior conditions.

Hopefully we can start on creek repairs from the blowouts this summer late this fall. But worst-case scenario, it could be spring 2026. Or also never. I can't (yet) figure out how to thread the needle between preserving brand new concrete, weaving in between newly planted trees, and balancing our other duties in the Public Works and Parks Departments.

Update Aug. 18, 2025:
Hot update from Rai: despite the rain we were able to start pouring concrete. There’s still several days of pavement, cure time, and then handwork to connect the neighborhood trails. I was also informed that we’ve had ~54 construction rain days this year. This is more than double our typical amount. Thank you very much for your patience. 

In this time, I cannot stress enough: PLEASE DO NOT VENTURE ONTO THE PAVEMENT UNTIL WE OPEN THE TRAIL. IT JEOPARDIZES THE LONGEVITY AND IS A WASTE OF TIME, EFFORT, AND MONEY 

And since I know none of you would ignore such an important message, I’m counting on you to spread the good news. Tell you friends and neighbors that good things are coming, and to stay off the pavement! 

East Trail: The grading/paving contractor is working around the rain/wet soils. Culverts have been placed and general grading is complete. They’ll work on subgrade, paving, and soil quality restoration (the big compost piles currently stockpiled onsite). I’m really excited for the soil quality restoration—increasing organic content helps the ground absorb the hot rain that runs off the impervious trail pavement.  It’s one of the ‘invisible’ ways that the City is dedicated to taking care of our waterways.

Stream East: There is 300-400 feet of stream that has eroded due to the intense rainfall this summer. We are working on access routes to these areas to perform or contract out repairs. 

Miscellany west of Alice’s Road: We have been clearing understory so that we can mark and protect trees and other special interest areas with orange fence. Some of the fence has gone up already, more to come. We will be stockpiling larger trees and using the wood in the stream restoration construction. The construction timelines on stream (and subsequent trail) are dependent on permits being issued, and we don’t have a good prediction on the exact completion of that task. The state agency has requested that both of those plansets be final-stamped for review. This is atypical, as usually a 60-90% ‘permit set’ is issued so that the consultant/owner can make final minor plan revisions while the review is ongoing.

To that end, the uncertain stream timeline coupled with the 9-12 month ‘expiration date’ on using the large woody material’s density prior to drying, the canopy may come down on a different timeline than the remaining understory. We anticipate bidding the remaining work in fall and are still expecting the overall clearing west of Alice’s road sometime from Oct 2025 – April 2026. We’ll provide more granularity on the dates as they solidify.

Update July 10, 2025
East of Alice’s Rd: The City’s contractor mobilized to the site last week to begin trail reconstruction. Storm sewer pipes, structures, and culverts to control drainage along the trail alignment are nearing completion this week with grading operations expected to follow next week.

West of Alice’s Rd: A contractor will be mowing in the Waukee sewer easement area next week, primarily west of Westgate Pkwy.

Update June 17, 2025
East Trail: The grading/paving contractor is expected to move in June 30; there may be prep work preceding that date. We’re anticipating completion in September. When the equipment mobilizes to site, PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THE PARK AREA.  

Walnut Hills Detention Basin Trees: A big thank you to Glen, Chuck, Pat, and Cory for their help in planting trees at the Walnut Hills detention basin site. It felt wholesome to see our Distinct by Nature embodied in your stewardship and reciprocity.

Stream East: The 4”+ rains from a  few weeks ago have caused minor bank erosion in the project area. We are aware of the concern and are working on a repair strategy.

Miscellany west of Alice’s Road: We have received long-awaited comments from our state and federal partners regarding the proposed stream restoration and trail. Between their input and our desire to match construction up with the appropriate seeding windows, we will move the stream restoration project back to spring of 2026. In advance of this work, we have been clearing understory so that we can mark and protect trees more easily. We anticipate canopy clearing west of Alice’s road sometime from Oct 2025 – April 2026. We’ll provide more granularity on the dates as they solidify. We will be stockpiling these and using the woody material in the stream restoration construction.

Update, June 3, 2025
Trail As the vegetation establishes on the creek restoration we are moving towards trail reconstruction. Before we start, we’re double checking bat habitat for a handful of trees on the edge of the trail grading limits that may need to come down (this is to fit a 2 foot increase in trail width, plus the paving machine that we’re now aware of because the contract has been executed).

Trees: Would you be interested in helping to plant some trees in the detention basin area our crew worked last fall? If so, please fill out this Doodle poll so I can find a time that works for as many people as possible: https://doodle.com/group-poll/participate/bYq9AnAb. This is near the Walnut Hills detention area of the Clive Greenbelt (nearest the 168th CT trail connection). Multiple sessions may be selected depending on volunteer availability. We have 10-15 trees to plant. Please bring gloves if you want them, water bottles if you’re the sort of person who hydrates, and a snack if you get hangry (like me - Rai). Shovels will be provided, but you're also welcome to bring your own. If there's a time that would work well for 2 or more people that is not listed, please email [email protected].

Update, May 5, 2025
We are closing out the stream restoration for Little Walnut Creek (east of Alice’s Road) with some final erosion/sediment control and vegetation stabilization. Please note that walking on them is destructive to the seedlings and an active detriment to the project and park. The entire project has been seeded, and we want to encourage as much germination as possible to stabilize the soil for the spring rains. There is a gap between germination on the stream project and the beginning of the trail project to provide the next contractor with as much park stabilized with vegetation as possible. We need the vegetation to grow, so please don’t crush the seedlings.

The new trail construction will begin this summer, with early start June 2nd. The pre-construction meeting is this week and we’ll get a tentative schedule for specific start dates. The new trail does not perfectly follow the old alignment, so again, even if you think that your path is an exception, please understand that foot traffic in any project area is actively detrimental to vegetation stabilization and the restoration of this park.

Update, Apr. 8, 2025
Final soil lifts, seeding, and planting are still underway and our contractor is trucking right along.

Live stakes are nearly complete.

Clive’s Natural Resources team is tidying the remaining understory throughout this area and the Walnut Hills detention basin area. They’re targeting Siberian elm and honeysuckle. It stinks to see the green go, but remember… There are only a few leafed-out plants in the greenbelt this early in the season and many of them are ­detrimental to healthy soil profiles. If it’s green and the bark is smooth, it could very well be honeysuckle ☹ if it’s green and it’s pokey, it could be gooseberry. We’ve been steering clear of the gooseberry as we find it.

Update, Mar. 27, 2025
The contractor crews are in and rolling. They have begun live staking—they will follow with seed and containerized plantings after/as the earth moving work is complete. 

Crews are also working the final soil lifts and minor repairs from the winter.

Looks like most of the orange fence is down—the remaining fence wrapped directly around the trunk is the City’s and we have that in our work orders.

Update, Mar. 18, 2025
The contractor will be moving back in next week—both landscaping and earth moving. There will be live staking on the east end and construction of soil lifts on the west near Alice’s Road. They will remove orange fence as they are able.

Clive operations crews will be back for some touch ups on the Walnut Hills detention basin near 169th St. With the exception of one area of differential settling, the performance in the basin this spring so far has met the desired outcomes.

Our natural resources team will continue to work on understory management within the park and outside the main construction limits. This work involves forestry mowing. The natural resources team will monitor the rebound from the seedbank currently choked by the honeysuckle for the next two years, and will apply invasive control as needed. The team’s ecosystem target is:

1. dominant native cover, or
2. non-native, non-aggressive naturalized species with less than 5% invasive cover, or
3. something in between 😊

The Clive team may replant other shrubs and trees beyond the stream and trail contractors’ scope as they assess the ecosystem’s response.

The trail project was awarded last week to Howrey Construction for summer construction.

Please remember that this is an active construction site and we request that you not be in the park area until the work is complete for safety, expediency, and project success.

Update, Mar. 13, 2025
The contractors are coordinating springtime work around the arrival of the live stakes (for planting) which are projected to arrive the week of 3/24. We’ll know more next week on when equipment will arrive and final grading and overseeding will commence.

We’ll be awarding the contract for the trail tonight at council for summer construction. Your patience is appreciated as we work through the dominos on this one.

Update, Jan. 2, 2025
The Little Walnut Creek site is temporarily buttoned up for the frozen conditions. Bonded fiber matrix (the green fluff) is in place to prevent surface soil movement until we can get permanent seed down. A couple more weeks of channel grading and matting prior to final restoration is expected. The windows for restoration are as follows:

 

•    Live staking in March and April 

•    Seeding in April through June

•    Canopy trees will be planted throughout both windows as they become available from the nurseries. 

The Walnut Hills detention basin work is also paused for the weather. Some minor grading touch-ups will occur in the spring.