MURFREESBORO, TN - Ecological restoration projects are gradually healing damaged ecosystems across the country. More than half a century ago, cities across the U.S. believed that burying waterways was one solution for flooding. However, those encased waterways lacked the natural greenery found in open streams – greenery that works as a natural filtration system. In other words, naturally flowing creeks and streams have less pollution while water that flows through underground culverts lead to lower water quality.

The City of Murfreesboro will soon bring the past into the present by daylighting a creek that was covered up in the 1950s, as a means to control floodwater… That was Sam Huddleston, the Assistant City Manager talking about Town Creek. The waterway sits in an area known historically as ‘The Bottoms,’ because the area geographically sits lower than the town square.

When the creek was placed into culverts over 70 years ago, there was little research on the impact of burying creeks or waterways in concrete tunnels. However, we now know that rerouting a creek into an underground culvert ultimately leads to decreased water quality and increased water pollution.

Rachel Singer with the Murfreesboro Parks & Recreation Department told us the daylighting of Town Creek will begin at the Murfree Spring Wetland… The water travels under South Church Street and runs along NW Broad Street… The daylighting of the creek will end at Cannonsburgh Village.

Soon, construction crews will begin digging up what was buried so many years ago and work to implement extended creek banks while incorporating walkways alongside the waterway. The project is expected to transform the downtown area into a vibrant and desirable park-like setting… As sounds of water begin to flow in the downtown area, perhaps as they once did over 70-years ago, so will the economic development…

Restoring Town Creek will breath new life into a damaged ecosystem, while also breathing new life into the downtown area. (Hear more details from Parks & Rec. Asst. Dir. Rachel Singer in the 4-min. update above this article).

Project Description from City of Murfreesboro -  On Jan. 12, 2022, the Murfreesboro City Council voted unanimously to approve proceeding with appraisal, negotiation, and acquisition of property along Broad Street for “daylighting” of Town Creek, an underground stream that originates in Murfree Spring at the Discovery Center. Daylighting Town Creek is one aspect of the City Council’s approved plans for redevelopment of the Historic Bottoms, an area west of Broad Street in the downtown area. Completion of the Town Creek Phase II project will provide walking and biking trail connectivity from the Discovery Center and Murfree Springs to Cannonsburgh Village and the Greenway Trail System.