Major restoration work is beginning on McCoys Creek in Downtown Jacksonville. | News4Jax
Published on February 4, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Free local news and info, in your inbox at 6 a.m. M-F. Sign up for the Jacksonville Today newsletter.
Long plagued by flooding after heavy rain, McCoys Creek became the focus of a major restoration project beginning Wednesday in Downtown Jacksonville.
City leaders said the McCoys Creek Branches project is intended to help keep water from rising out of the creek by restoring its western headwaters — the upstream areas where stormwater first enters the system.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
McCoys Creek, a shallow urban waterway, drains several neighborhoods west of Downtown and has flooded nearby streets during heavy rain for years. Over time, the creek was altered with ditches, barriers and hardened banks that pushed water downstream more quickly, increasing flood risk and carrying pollution into the St. Johns River.
READ MORE: At long last, McCoys Creek flows back to St. Johns River
The current project removes those barriers, reshapes the creek and restores wetlands that are designed to slow stormwater before it reaches the main channel. In all, nearly 4,800 linear feet of the creek’s headwaters will be restored, along with about 15 acres of streams and wetlands and nearly four acres of open space planned for future recreation.
Jacksonville Today thanks our sponsors. Become one.
Officials said the work also addresses environmental damage left behind from past uses of the land. Crews will clean up contaminated soil from a former ash-dumping site and plant more than 10,000 trees, along with tens of thousands of native plants. The plantings are expected to improve water quality and provide habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife.
The project also includes features aimed at improving access to the creek. Plans call for a new pedestrian bridge, future kayak access and pedestrian-friendly pathways that will eventually connect to the Emerald Trail, a growing network of trails and green spaces across Jacksonville.
City and community leaders say those additions could help change how people experience McCoys Creek — from a waterway known mainly for flooding to one that supports recreation and neighborhood connectivity.
This story was produced by News4Jax, a Jacksonville Today news partner.
