Mike Hurley, a Wildwood Meadows resident, told the Watershed Erosion Task Force that erosion along Cox Creek is accelerating and threatens private property. “We’re losing 2, 3 feet every time it rains,” Hurley said, and predicted “by the end of summer, it’s gonna be into our property lines.”

The exchange came during the task force’s public-comment portion, when several residents described bank failures, fallen trees and undercut lots in subdivisions north of Clayton. Task force Chair Joe Farmer, who also serves on Wildwood City Council, said the creek is a navigable waterway and that federal permits will be required for many kinds of in‑stream work. “The Army Corps of Engineers has 100% control of the space,” Farmer said.

Residents described recent contacts with the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) and the Army Corps; Hurley said MSD staff and a contractor, Tom Kelp, had offered engineering ideas and that MSD had indicated it could “rush something through” if a study and permit were in place. City staff and task force members told residents the city could help coordinate but cannot unilaterally authorize in‑stream work without required permits.

City staff advised homeowners that the usual path is for the homeowners association or property owner to file permit applications and that the city can assist by reviewing engineering and permit packages before submittal. City staff estimated a basic engineering drawing for a temporary measure could cost “probably $3,500 to $5,000,” and said MSD had previously estimated about $400,000 to address roughly 500 feet of bank in the area.

Task force members warned that temporary fixes can shift erosion downstream. “If we move rocks around, it creates problems in other parts of the creek,” Farmer said. Staff and task force members nevertheless offered to meet one‑on‑one with Wildwood Meadows residents to review permitting, engineering and funding options and to explore whether MSD would reimburse locally funded repairs in some cases.

The task force urged residents to coordinate through their homeowners association for permitting, and staff offered to meet with residents the next day to review requirements and potential engineering steps. The task force reiterated that the city has limited discretionary funding for immediate construction and that many long‑term projects require state, MSD or federal funding or a local funding mechanism.

Next steps identified at the meeting included: city staff meeting with Wildwood Meadows representatives to review permit requirements and engineering, homeowners considering funding a targeted study if MSD reimbursement is a possibility, and continued coordination between the task force, MSD and the Corps.