Celebrating Engineering Excellence at Lynnbrook Park

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF)- Chattanooga received national recognition this week after transforming a once flood-prone park into a model of stormwater innovation. City leaders gathered at Lynnbrook Park to celebrate the project’s latest honor—the prestigious ACEC Grand Award for Stormwater and Wastewater projects.

During a ceremony at the park, officials formally accepted the award, which highlights the city’s work to restore the natural stream channel running through Lynnbrook Park. The project was designed to slow, filter, and safely direct stormwater, significantly reducing flooding in the surrounding Oak Grove neighborhood.

Storm Water Division Director Maria Price said the award reflects how thoughtful engineering can deliver both environmental and community benefits.

“This is an excellent example because it not only takes away the impervious areas and gives you a beautified, natural vegetated area,” Price said. “It helps with those environmental health benefits, and now it’s a very attractive area compared to what it was before.”

Beyond its stormwater improvements, the restoration project added new recreational features for families, including playgrounds, a pavilion, and a pedestrian bridge connecting key parts of the park.

City leaders say Lynnbrook Park now stands as a model for future green-infrastructure efforts across Chattanooga—showing how flood-prone areas can be transformed into valuable community spaces.