Current Hours of Operation for 2025
10 am- 3 pm
The Stream turns on for 20 minutes at a time with a 20 minute pause in between.
LEARN MORE (Nee Kee Nee)
The East Stream, which has been named Nee Kee Nee (revived water) by the present-day Osage Nation, was daylighted in 2022, having previously been covered in the 1910s. The stream recovery project features several large-scale raingardens (stormwater BMPs) that slow and filter rainwater and allow for deep soil infiltration. The project also honors the ancestral Osage people who inhabited the land prior to European settlement, with their story told throughout the stream including an Osage village reproduction and animal iconography. Learn more about the Osage Nation, click here.
The stream restoration was highlighted as a priority of the Park’s 2017 Master Plan, with a strategy devised in 2018 in conjunction with Metropolitan Sewer District. The 1600’ long stream covers a 3-acre project area but captures and treats stormwater in a 43-acre watershed. In one year, the stream can retain and treat 300,000 gallons of water though its five BMPs.
At the stream’s “Headwaters” area on the south end, the basin is filled and drained with municipal water daily (hours vary by the season). Visitors may cause the water to bubble and flow by pressing the button on the black post, which can be activated every 15 minutes. This area allows for a fun space for families and pets to splash in potable water before the stream connects with the stormwater drain at the nearby plunge pool and bridge crossing.
Similarly, the Headwaters area features a nature playscape, including a balance beam, hillside steppers, and stilts, which allow for intergenerational play in the natural environment.
The stream was initially planted with 61 trees, 137 shrubs, 9216 perennial plugs, with an additional 1.9 acres planted with a variety of native seed. The native plantings are grouped by season in which they bloom, from spring at the Headwaters/south end, to winter at the north end, allowing visitors to continuously experience seasonal color. The full list of plants can be seen and identified on our Plants In Bloom feature of our interactive map.
Our project partners include landscape architects Lamar Johnson Collaborative; civil engineers David Mason & Associates; owner’s representative Navigate Building Solutions; consultant X-Sense Authentic Places; general contractor Keeley Construction Group; BMP building and landscaping by StormWater Pros; landscaping by DJM Ecological Services; stream and civil strategy by BioHabitats, and Metropolitan Sewer District.
This project was funded by generous donations from the Crawford Taylor Foundation and members of the Kindle and Taylor families.
Award and Acknowledgements
2022 AGC Construction Keystone Award - First Place Utility Infrastructure Category
2023 Prairie Gateway ASLA Award of Excellence
2023 Central States ASLA Award of Excellence
2023 Urban Lands Institute Americas Award of Excellence Finalist