Considering Brush Creek (Or is it "Flush Creek"?)

With the celebrated and totally fun "Waterfire" coming up again this month at Brush Creek, it seems a good time to examine it a bit. First thing, let's admit that it's not so much a clean waterway for our enjoyment, as citizens of the city--it's a drainage for who knows what. Years ago, my daughter and I would spend one evening per week walking the Plaza and so, of course, Brush Creek. One evening, as we were on one of those walks, we noticed a couple of things about the Creek. The first thing we noticed was that it was running black all of a sudden. On further examination, there was a drainage pipe a bit West of the waterfall drop that was oozing out some thick black goo. The second thing we noticed was that it was having the effect of killing everything in the creek. The last thing we noticed was that two city Water Department crew members were there, taking it all in. I have regretted, ever since, not asking them what in the world was happening and where that pipe led to, besides Mission Hills. It was at that time I realized, again, that Brush Creek is just really drainage. Which brings me to my query. That is, I'd love to know the history of the thing. But what I want to know is the technical history of it--why it's set up like it is and why we haven't done anything about it, to clean it up. It shouldn't be the sewer that it apparently is. Thank goodness it doesn't stink (that much). Now, there's a more recent development that I don't think is getting any attention. That is, just East of Cleveland, on Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard (the former Van Brunt to you and me), an island has sprung up in the middle of the creek. True. An island. I've been watching it form since last Winter. It began as just muck and mire that built up, over time, from upstream. But it congealed, formed a mass rather like mud, anchored and now has grown grass, I think, or some weeds all over it. It looks as though it was meant to be there. That and along the banks of the creek, further down, the same stuff is forming more along the shores, narrowing the channel. My point in bringing this up? One, to point it out. It seems no one has that I've seen. Two, I bring it up because I think the city should, once and for all, clean up Brush Creek and the sooner the better. The city--the people and the government, both--should get behind this and do it, if we can afford it. If we can't afford it right now, at least do a study to see what it would take to clean it up--what it would take technically and then what it would take financially so, one day, hopefully, we could do just that--clean up and then enjoy our precious "Flush Creek".