When Gainesville’s new midtown city park opens later this spring, guests will get to enjoy the pleasant, rocky stream — part of a renovated Flat Creek — flowing south along a path. What they likely won’t notice is the amount of planning and work that went into renovating that portion of the creek to become optimal for maintaining water quality and reducing flood risks, all while maintaining a natural, aesthetically pleasing appearance. “There’s a lot of science and design behind it,” said Horace Gee, environmental manager for the Gainesville Public Utilities Department.