CU adds more local floating wetlands through state cost-share agreement

City Utilities of Springfield on Wednesday again partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation on the addition of local floating wetlands through a state cost-share agreement.

Joel Alexander, CU manager of media relations, said two floating wetlands totaling 192 square feet were installed yesterday at Fellows Lake, with costs estimated at $10,642.

The structures, which are made of aluminum, filled with lightweight foamed glass aggregate and loaded with various species of native plants, are designed to improve water quality and create aquatic habitat as they float in a cove on the lake, according to a news release.

"As the plants grow and form roots that become a habitat for fish, floating wetlands can help to filter excess nutrients that if unchecked, can lead to seasonal algae blooms," officials said in the release. "Above the water, the native plants provide a habitat for birds, pollinating insects and other wildlife."

Students from Missouri State University's engineering department additionally worked on a floating wetland for McDaniel Lake that was installed last month, Alexander said.

In 2024, the cost of four wetlands installed at McDaniel Lake was $12,890, with combined square footage at 256, and the MDC installed an additional wetland at Fellows Lake as a prototype designed for educational purposes, said Alexander.

Alexander said that through a 2024 cost-share arrangement with the MDC, the state government reimburses 90% of CU's costs for the wetlands projects. The reimbursement for the four wetlands at McDaniel Lake last year was $11,601, he said.