Dubuque Receives International Award: Waterfront Excellence

Dubuque Receives 2021 Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Award

The City of Dubuque received a 2021 Excellence on the Waterfront Honor Award from The Waterfront Center for the Bee Branch Creek Restoration Project. City of Dubuque Civil Engineer Deron Muehring and Project Manager Steve Sampson-Brown accepted the award during a virtual event on October 26.

Dubuque Among Winners from China, UK, and other US Cities

Dubuque was one of eight award winners from across the world including projects in Canada, The United Kingdom, China, India, and U.S. cities including Juneau, Seattle, and Lewis County, Washington. An interdisciplinary jury of professional planners, designers, city officials, and community, business, and development representatives determined the awards using criteria such as sensitivity of the design to water, quality and harmony of design, civic contribution, environmental values, overall cultural richness of the community, and degree of difficulty.

Bee Branch Restoration

The Bee Branch Creek Restoration involved replacing one mile of storm sewer with a creek and floodplain that resembles the one that traversed the area approximately 100 years ago. This “daylighting” of the buried Bee Branch Creek allows stormwater from flash floods to safely move through the area without flooding adjacent properties. The greenway includes amenities such as a multi-use trail, scenic overlooks, an outdoor amphitheater, benches, lighting, and rest areas. The Bee Branch Creek Restoration is one of several infrastructure improvements the City of Dubuque is making as part of the overall Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project to address severe and frequent flash flooding in the Bee Branch Watershed.

Waterfront Center

In 1987 the Waterfront Center began the “Excellence on the Waterfront Awards Program,” initiated with grants from the National Endowment for the Arts Design Arts Program and the National Marine Manufacturers Association, to recognize top-quality planning, design, and development work from around the world.

To learn more about the Bee Branch Watershed Flood Mitigation Project, visit: cityofdubuque.org/beebranch. For more information on The Waterfront Center, visit: waterfrontcenter.org.

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