McCoys Creek Branches

The McCoys Creek Branches form the western headwaters of the creek and drain a 3.74 square mile watershed. The Branches restoration project will restore the natural function of 4,752 linear feet of McCoys Creek headwaters including 14.93 acres of stream and wetlands and 3.9 acres of open space for future recreational use.

The plan is creating a natural meander within a more deeply excavated and fully vegetated wetland floodplain. This will improve habitat, flood capacity, and water quality that ultimately will improve conditions in the creek’s main stem that flows to the St. Johns River.

Dr. John Kiefer, the project’s lead design engineer, estimates the Branches restoration will remove 780 pounds of nitrogen every year, creating a much cleaner and balanced delivery of fresh water to the rest of the system. Restoring the upstream freshwater portion of the creek is also beneficial for estuarine fish and will help generate the food base for forage fish that will then be prey for species in the area. It also may serve as nursery habitat for some important species.

Like McCoys Creek Phases 1 and 2, the Branches project is being implemented in partnership with the City of Jacksonville (COJ). Groundwork is leading design, community engagement and outreach efforts.

The project was designed by environmental engineering specialist, WSP in collaboration with SCAPE, a landscape architecture and urban design practice. The design was wholly funded by Groundwork Jacksonville through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and private donations.

Construction begins in February 2026 at a projected cost of $12.65 million. Kiewitt is the construction contractor and C&ES is the construction engineering inspection firm. Funding is supported by a $5.18 million Florida Resilient Coastlines Program grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, and a $2.6 million NOAA Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grant. COJ will fund the remaining project cost in addition to contamination remediation. Design was funded by Groundwork Jacksonville through a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant and private donors.