Warren County Stormwater hosts feedback meeting for Basil Griffin Park project

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A new project at Basil Griffin Park from the Warren County Stormwater Department is set to help an area that has been a flooding target for a while now.

“We are doing a constructed wetland project at Basil Griffin Park… in addition to stream bank restoration on the other side,” Stormwater director Nikki Koller says.

The first phase of that project involves the bridge near the amphitheater at the park. It’s made entirely out of wood, which means with the recent flooding and storms we’ve seen, it can sustain a lot of damage. That’s why the Stormwater Department is going to replace the bridge with a much sturdier structure that can prevent all the water from rising up.

“It’s really important to protect that area to make sure that all the trash and any kind of floatables or a variety of different pollutants don’t get into the cave system… and so we are going to redo this little channel, and make it a great place for habitat for different wildlife,” Koller said.

A feedback meeting was held Thursday afternoon at the park, and so far the community is very receptive of the plan.

“I think the community’s really excited to see some improvements here that not only benefit their park experience, but also the nature around them and connect them closer to that nature, and we’re just excited to see people excited about the work we’re doing,” Koller said.

That includes one community member who happens to work with the county parks, who says this upgrade is much needed.

“I think having the fence down and people able to look in and see the vegetation and the work that they put into it not only there but also along the lake banks… we have a lot of flooding out here… so we have a lot of erosion… and so it’s nice to know that something’s going to be done with that as well,” Warren County Parks and Recreation Special Projects Manager Leah Spurlin said.

As for a timeline on construction, Koller says the bids should go out in July. “It’s our hope… and then we should probably start construction in the fall, depending on contractor availability. It is paid for by a grant… Phase two, it’s currently not grant funded, but we do have a separate fund for projects like this… and we anticipate probably 2027, depending on the situation and things that are going on,” she said.