Mallard Creek is about to get a serious facelift, as Mecklenburg County crews gear up to rebuild eroded stream banks, slow down rushing water and bring wildlife back to one of Charlotte’s busiest trail corridors along the Mallard Creek Greenway. The work is also meant to cut the amount of sediment that ends up clouding downstream water infrastructure, and officials are warning that popular greenway stretches may temporarily close while heavy machinery rolls through.
Funding and schedule
Under an interlocal agreement the City Council adopted on Feb. 9, the city is committing roughly $6.26 million to Mecklenburg County’s portion of the restoration effort and locking in a basic construction schedule. The plan calls for a pre-construction conference on April 6 and a formal notice to proceed on May 4, 2026, followed by about a one year construction window and a warranty period after the work wraps up, according to the City Clerk's Office.
The agreement names Kimley‑Horn as the county’s engineer and Stantec to handle the city’s sewer work tied to the project.
What crews will do
Charlotte‑Mecklenburg Storm Water Services describes the Mallard Creek at Kirk Farms Field project as a full rework of roughly 5,875 linear feet of creek, from Mallard Creek Church Road downstream to I‑485. Crews will reshape eroded banks, add in‑stream and floodplain features and install riparian plantings that slow high flows and trap sediment before it moves downstream.
The Mecklenburg County Storm Water Services project page lays out the phases of work and planned public outreach, while the department’s Storm Water Services FY2024 CIP describes the same natural channel design techniques already used on other local restorations. County staff say they will try to stage construction to limit headaches for drivers and trail users, but traffic shifts and greenway detours are still likely during the buildout.
On the ground
Walk near the Kirk Farm parking lot and the problem is hard to miss. The creek bank drops roughly 10 feet straight down to the channel, a textbook sign of stream instability that this project is meant to fix, according to county reporting.
County staff quoted in The Charlotte Observer said designers plan to “put curves into the stream” so water naturally slows as it moves through the corridor. Those same officials cautioned that sections of the Mallard Creek Greenway will likely be closed at times for public safety while heavy equipment is operating in and along the channel.
Why this matters
Mecklenburg County’s watershed planning documents and capital improvement program materials point out that stream restoration can cut erosion, reduce sediment loads, rebuild aquatic habitat and lower risks to downstream infrastructure like pipes and culverts. Within those reports, several reaches of Mallard Creek show up as priority candidates under the county’s Stream Restoration Ranking System, with pre‑design scores in the low 100s for some segments.
Restoration goals aim to move those health scores closer to the county’s target range as construction finishes and vegetation takes hold, according to the FY2024 CIP.
What to expect on the greenway
Park maps show the Mallard Creek Greenway running from Kirk Farm Fields through Toby Creek and toward UNC Charlotte, threading together multiple neighborhoods and park spaces. County and park officials say they will post detour routes and closure notices as work gets underway.
Trail users should plan for intermittent closures and possible reroutes near Kirk Farm Fields during the construction window. Anyone who wants the latest timeline and safety details can sign up for project updates or contact Storm Water Services directly for current information as the restoration moves forward.
