WILDWOOD, Mo. — Cities can plan for development, like where to allow a Starbucks and where new buildings can go ... but they can't tell a creek which way to wind.
For leaders of Wildwood in west St. Louis County, that's the problem.
A wayward watershed is taking over and it could cost taxpayers thousands.
"It's an issue because it's only going to get worse," Wildwood Mayor Jim Bowlin said. "The water runoff in our nine watersheds is not going away and if we don't address it now, it's only going to cost more later."
Most creeks in Wildwood are mellow, but any time there is heavy rain, those creeks swell. Rushing waters cause erosion which can eat away at private property and public land.
"Over time the runoff has started to deteriorate some of our infrastructure," Bowlin said. Roads and bridges are at risk of deteriorating or already are.
Bowlin said looking into the issue and finding a remedy will impact more than just the City of Wildwood; it actually also helps other cities that may be downstream nearby — for example, Caulks Creek in Chesterfield.
Caulks Creek is the one winding its way through backyards and cutting away the bridge by the intersection of Shepard and Strecker. The creek is part of the reason Wildwood formed the Watershed Erosion Task Force and why they've asked for the state to step in.
"We asked the state for $500,000 to assist with this because of the large-scale nature of it," Bowlin said. "We were actually going to match that with a 25% pitch in from the city."
Bowlin said the Missouri legislature thought it was a good idea. "It was great that the legislature passed it, but Governor Parson did a line item veto of it."
A line-item veto isn't stopping Wildwood and Bowlin.
"I'm actually planning a trip to Jefferson City to meet with the governor's team to see if we can in fact get that to occur for this next legislative session," Bowlin said.