95% Complete

The construction at Mary Beth Doyle Park is very nearly done, and we are looking forward to the Park's official opening sometime around Memorial Day. As winter sets in, there are a small number of tasks remaining. The temporary construction fence was relocated last week. The new location should be less prone to vandalism. The disc golf tees and baskets are not yet installed, but the City has indicated they should be finished this spring. Seeding and planting will continue this coming spring and fall to establish the native landscape (and to replace the materials that have washed away, been eaten by geese, deer, etc.). After germination begins next spring, the temporary fence will be removed. The permanent fencing along the North property line and near the bridges will remain.

For those of you who have not taken a tour, I think the easiest way to explain the design is this: the wetland is a 12-acre bathtub with a very small drain. When it rains, the bathtub fills and the water drains out very slowly.

Bath Full

Bathtub Drain

Bath Empty

While water is held, sediment and pollutants are captured within the wetland. If rain continues, the tub fills until the water reaches the overflow. In our case, the overflow is an embankment dam.

Overflow

Once that happens, there is little added pollutant removal, but flow is still controlled by the bigger pipes that prevent downstream flooding.

Flood Control Pipes

Over the next 5 years, we will be actively managing the native plantings, trees and shrubs to maximize diversity in the Wetland Preserve. We realize that non-native seed will always be brought into the site via Malletts Creek. Purple loosestrife and narrow-leaf cattail will establish themselves. However, with proper management this can be minimized. We expect to have much higher plant diversity than when we started, particularly in the elevated wetland. The Preserve and the adjacent high-quality woodlands will hopefully provide a combination of quality habitat better than the sum of their respective parts.

Representatives from the City, the County Drain Commissioner’s Office and the Ecology Center (where Mary Beth Doyle worked for many years) will be planning for the official opening. If you have any suggestions, please let us know.

Lastly, for anyone wondering what the “dead trees” are doing in the elevated wetland, they are placed there as wildlife habitat structures for birds and mammals.

Elevated Wetland