Restoration of Cane Run Creek near Legacy Trail to begin soon

The city of Lexington will soon begin work on restoring a mile-long section of Cane Run Creek near the Legacy Trail.

The project is required by a 2011 agreement between the city, state and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to curb water pollution caused by sewer overflows. The agreement included a provision requiring the city to clean up its streams in an effort to help filter pollution from rainwater runoff.

Portions of the creek between Citation Boulevard and Interstate 75 will be relocated to its original path. The banks of the creek will be stabilized and restored, allowing the water to move more slowly when it rains. The work will also help reduce erosion, city officials said.

That portion of the stream runs parallel to the Legacy Trail, a popular biking and walking trail. The restoration will take about 18 months. Some trees will be cut down for the restoration but city leaders said new trees will be planted.

“We will plant more trees than we move and we will improve a larger area,” said Charles Martin, the city’s director of Water Quality, which will oversee the restoration.

The area in question has two large bur oaks, which will be saved, Martin said.

Because the project is along the Legacy Trail it will be visible to many in the city. A public meeting to discuss the project — including the plan to reforest the area around the creek — will be at 6 p.m. Monday at the Bluegrass Community and Technical College Classroom Building at 500 Newtown Pike.

This story was originally published January 19, 2017 at 4:30 PM with the headline "Restoration of Cane Run Creek near Legacy Trail to begin soon."