Great Rivers Greenway District Ribbon Cutting April 29 for Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail
First 4-mile segment of a proposed 17-mile loop along the perimeter of Chesterfield Valley
April 4, 2008, St. Louis, MO – The Great Rivers Greenway District, the public organization leading the development of a region-wide network of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, has announced the completion of the first 4-mile segment of the Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail. The Trail, developed by the Great Rivers Greenway District in cooperation with the City of Chesterfield and the Monarch Chesterfield Levee District, is part of the Missouri River Greenway.
A ribbon cutting ceremony to formally open the trail to the public is Tuesday, April 29, 10:30 a.m. at the Trailhead Pavilion located at the first entrance west of the main entrance to Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex at 17925 North Outer 40 Road.
“The Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail is an essential part of the city’s parks, recreation and trails system,” said Chesterfield Mayor John Nations. “It will connect to other regional trails and is central to the Missouri River Greenway project being developed along the historic and scenic Missouri River.”
Eventually, the trail will form a 17-mile loop running primarily along the perimeter of Chesterfield Valley, which will include connections from the trail to on-street bike paths, sidewalks and walking paths, as well as a connection to the Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge. .
David Fisher, Executive Director of The Great Rivers Greenway District, added that this project demonstrates a creative and adaptive reuse of the Monarch Chesterfield Levee, which existed prior to the flood of 1993. “The Levee, which initially was designed only to protect the City of Chesterfield and adjacent communities from flooding, now also serves as an important amenity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages in the community.”
Highlights of the project include a connection to a 130-acre wetland mitigation project, which provides many benefits for the area’s river basins and riparian corridors by helping to absorb and store water, as well as helping to control erosion by absorbing silt and organic matter.
The Monarch Chesterfield Levee Trail will be regulated and maintained by the City of Chesterfield.
About The Great Rivers Greenway District: The Great Rivers Greenway District is the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, known as the River Ring. The River Ring will join two states and cover an area of 1,216 square miles. The Greenway District was established in November 2000 by the successful passage of the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails Initiative (Proposition C) in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, Missouri. For more information about Great Rivers Greenway District, visit www.greatrivers.info.
