More than 50 people turned out for the Open House on the Master Plan for the Farm Creek Reservoirs in East Peoria Tuesday.
It was an opportunity for people to learn about the Army Corps of Engineers management plans for the nearly 900 acres that make up the the Farmdale and Fondulac Reservoirs.
Kevin Ewbank is the Army Corps Supervisory Park Ranger for Illinois Waterway and Farm Creek Projects. He says the federally owned land is designated for flood control with recreation as an additional purpose.
But Ewbank says the majority of the annual budget is for flood risk management with a little added for environmental stewardship. “What we’re set up for now as we get plans in the head, it doesn’t mean just federal funding. We could get a local partner, a nonprofit, local government wants to put a picnic shelter out there, we could say, ‘Well our master plan says that this is low density recreational use, so that is an authorised purpose.”
Ewbank says neighbors, horseback riders and mountain bikers were some of those who had the most interest in the master plan at the public open house. “We got some good feedback from them on things that we might do in the future to make it more useable by them. And that’s what we want. We want to manage it such a way that people can come out and enjoy the outdoors. You know the health benefits from it.”
Ewbank says the Army Corps is still taking public input on the Master Plans for the Farmdale and Fondulac Reservoirs. Those wishing to learn more about the land management of the reservoirs or provide comments can link to the Army Corps site here.
You can also visit the Illinois Waterways project office on Grant Street in Peoria.