Todd's Creek Relocation and Restoration West Lafayette, Indiana
Services Provided
Open Space Planning
Public Space Design
Resilient Design
People Involved
Eric Lucas
Jacob Deason
Awards
2021 INASLA Honor Award in Environmental Stewardship
The reimagined Todd’s Creek is a best practice for ecological restoration and resiliency planning
Todd’s Creek is at the western edge of Purdue University and in the heart of Purdue Research Foundation’s $1 billion Discovery Park District development. The relocation of Todd’s Creek positioned the waterway as a central element within Purdue University’s Horticulture Park while improving ecological value and stormwater conveyance and storage.
Prior to its realignment and restoration, Todd’s Creek was a channelized ditch, unable to accommodate stormwater draining from the upstream developments of Purdue University and West Lafayette. During major storm events, the stream banks would overflow and flood State Street. This inhibited further development along the corridor. Moreover, the degradation of the channelized ditch provided no ecological value. To combat this issue, made increasingly prevalent by more severe and frequent storms, MKSK and its engineering partners planned and designed the relocation of the stream and its return it to a natural form.
The reimagined stream is a best practice for ecological restoration and resiliency planning - handling stormwater and future urban development through a diverse collection of native ecologies. The relocation of Todd’s Creek through Purdue University’s Horticulture Park re-activates this once-popular destination through the lenses of habitat, biodiversity, and community health and wellness. Trails, bridges, boardwalks, and overlooks invite the public to this new natural feature. Signage and bird and bat houses tell interesting, important stories about the restoration and society’s interaction with nature. And newly created meadow and forested environments provide a textured and interesting experience for the residents of West Lafayette and Tippecanoe County, as well as the students at Purdue University.
