The city of Spokane plans to turn about 20 acres of land just southeast of Ferris High School into wetlands with the intent of easing the vacant areas ground-water problems, creating a bird habitat, and educating high-school students.


The city expects to spend about $1 million to buy the land there and create a multiuse wetlands area that would be used for various pilot programs for storm-water management, says the citys senior engineer, Jim MacInnis.


This is Spokanes first step toward some real cost-effective and water quality efficient facilities that serve multiple uses, says MacInnis. It wont alleviate all the existing problems, but we hope to develop techniques to use in other areas.


The plan is to divert storm water to the site from nearby Regal Street and surrounding areas using a drainage system the city would construct to the property. Once the water is on the property, some of it would sustain grass, plants and wildlife, and the rest would slowly drain into the ground or evaporate, MacInnis says.


MacInnis says Ferris students would be able to use the wetlands as an outdoor laboratory to study water flows and nature, including what he hopes will be a large and diverse bird population.


The city wants to try something different to deal with excess storm water than what the county has used with its six-acre evaporation ponds near 57th Avenue, says MacInnis.


The ponds on 57th dont blend with the community, says MacInnis.


The city plans to buy the land for about $600,000 in late April, or early May, he says. In addition, it plans to spend about $250,000 over the next five to seven years on physical improvements to the property.


The city plans to hire a Washington State University student, Elise LeBarron, to create a master plan for the 20-acre site this summer, he says.


MacInnis says meaningful construction on the project likely wont start until next year. The city expects to hire private contractors to do the large earth moving on the site, and that the city will do the rest of the work itself, he says


MacInnis says the city plans next year to spend between $50,000 and $100,000 to get the wetlands area underway.


Storm water flooding has been a hot issue for area residents and businesses in certain areas of the city and Spokane County, including the South Hill for years, he says.


Certain areas on the Moran Prairie have some pretty significant drainage problems, says MacInnis.


The Spokane County Conservation District is seeking solutions to storm water.


It has secured a contract with Golder Associates Inc., of Atlanta, to study possible controls of water flows into Hangman Creek. Walt Edelen, the conservation districts water resources program manager, says the study will cost between $60,000 and $80,000.


Edelen says the study isnt related to the citys planned wetlands facility near Ferris.


This is in response to the larger watershed of Hangman Creek, says Edelen. Were not going to implement anything right away. It could be 10 to 20 years before we start.