Project History
The Army Corps of Engineers in Washington and the Environmental Protection Agency selected Fourche Creek in Little Rock to be one of eight bodies of water in the United States to receive an Urban Rivers Restoration Initiative designation on 21 July 2003. This designation recognizes the highly productive efforts of several government agencies and non-profit groups who have been working together toward establishing and restoring an urban natural area along Fourche Creek in Little Rock. If all the studies pan out and full funding becomes available, Little Rock will boast an improved and protected urban bottomland hardwood natural area that will include wildlife and aquatic habitat enhancement, public access, and nature and canoeing trails. Officials say the framework provided by the URRI designation will help grow the partnership and move the project toward completion.

Several local, state and federal agencies as well as non-profit groups have been pooling their resources to make this natural area become a reality. Among the partners are the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Little Rock District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Audubon Society.

The Corps acquired an information system radio for Audubon to operate using funding provided by EPA. The AM radio transmits conservation and weather messages at 1620 on the dial.

The idea for a protected natural area along Fourche Creek is not new. Repeated floods along Fourche Creek, which culminated in a disastrous flood in 1978 that claimed eight lives, highlighted the need to move forward with a flood reduction project. By the mid-1990s, the Corps’ Little Rock District completed a $30 million urban flood reduction project on Fourche Creek. As part of that project, the Corps was also authorized to purchase 1,750 acres of bottomland covered with hardwoods along the creek for environmental preservation and development of nature appreciation facilities. However, Corps leadership determined this work was not a priority at the time, and no money was appropriated.

Then in more recent years environmental restoration evolved into the Federal interest, and the Corps began exploring restoration projects. Interest in the Fourche Creek project was revisited, and the Corps renewed studies. One challenge is related to the fact that some of the surrounding land contains two landfills and industrial activity. Studies indicate the acreage being targeted for this project is not contaminated and will not require cleanup, though plans must be made to reduce contaminated runoff entering the urban natural area.

The Little Rock District issued a permit on May 2, 2006, to BFI Waste Systems of Arkansas, LLC to place fill material in approximately 0.16 acres of wetlands.


Little Rock District has prepared a Limited Re-Evaluation Report to update the original studies and ensure they are still valid. The draft report went out for public review through 28 November 2005. The Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement is dated September 2008. The report is undergoing headquarters review prior to being sent to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. If he approves the Record of Decision, acquisition of Fourche Bottomlands could begin pending availability of funds.

FAQ’s

Q1: What is a URRI Designation?
A1: The URRI (Urban Rivers Restoration Initiative) designation supports a highly productive partnership between government agencies and nonprofit groups working on a pilot project to restore an urban natural area along Fourche Creek.
The Fourche Urban Rivers Restoration Initiative designation is one of eight around the country that have resulted from a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2002 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The MOU committed the two agencies to a partnership for restoration of degraded urban rivers.

Q2: Who are the partners on the project?
A2: Project partners include: the City of Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department, Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Little Rock District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Audubon Society.

Q3: Why is the URRI Designation important?
A3: Restoring the urban natural area of Fourche Creek will help prevent pollution, which improves public health. It will restore wildlife habitat and promote environmental sustainability. It aids in flood reduction by acting as a bathtub – During heavy rains, water is captured in the bottomland hardwood areas and runs off slowly. If urban development continues to destroy these natural areas, floodwater will run off much faster and damage more homes and businesses.
The project will encourage tourism and economic growth. Analysis indicates that the trails will log between 40,000 to 50,000 visits per year. The Nature appreciation facilities will encourage education and conservation. For example, the Little Rock School District and the Audubon are already conducting environmental education of schoolchildren by having them design and implement restoration projects.

Q4: Why was Fourche Creek chosen?
A4: Fourche Creek is located within an EPA Brownfields (abandoned/under-utilized land with perceived to light contamination) Assessment Demonstration Pilot in Pulaski County and lies within a Housing and Urban Development/US Department of Agriculture Empowerment Zone.
Repeated floods along Fourche Creek, which culminated in a disastrous flood in 1978 that claimed eight lives in Little Rock, highlighted the need to move forward with a flood reduction project. By the mid-1990’s, the Corps’ Little Rock District completed a $30 million urban flood reduction project on Fourche Creek. Though preservation and development of the bottomland hardwoods was planned as part of the flood reduction project, this portion was not completed because of changing priorities. In recent years, environmental restoration has evolved into a Corps priority, and the agency began exploring restoration projects and revisited the Fourche Creek project.

Q5: What will the Fourche Creek URRI Designation Project entail?
A5: The next step under this initiative is for the Corps to continue the process to obtain approval and funding to acquire 1,750 acres of Fourche Bottomlands for environmental preservation with nature appreciation facilities. The Corps’ Little Rock District has prepared a Limited Reevaluation Report to update and validate the original studies. Officials expect to submit this report in 2008 for approval by the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil works. If granted approval, land acquisition could begin pending availability of funds.
One challenge the project will encounter is that some of the surrounding land contains landfills and industrial activity and may require cleanup. The acreage to be acquired for preservation will not require cleanup; however, additional studies are being done to reduce sediment entering the bottomlands.
Projected activities from other organizations include: planting seedlings and vegetation, concrete riprap removal, erosion control and pollution control, creating stream buffers and wetland basins, and stream restoration.

Q6: What other rivers were selected for this initiative?
A6: The first four pilot projects were selected in April 2003. They included the Anacostia River in Washington D.C. and Maryland, the Elizabeth River in Virginia, the Blackstone-Woonasquatucket Rivers in Rhone Island and Massachusetts, and the Tres Rios River in Arizona. In addition to Fourche Creek, the other rivers selected in July 2003 were the Passaic River in New Jersey, the Gowanus Canal in New York, and City Creek in Utah.