Beautification: Great Northern Detention Pond FAQ

Watershed protection will be making improvements to the Far West Dam. The project will bring the detention pond into compliance with state criteria so that the dam continues to provide protection from flooding

An information session will take place on Monday, February 4th, 7PM the Northwest recreation center. More information on the project available here

In anticipation of the meeting, the team at watershed protection have provided answers to some top questions neighbors have presented:

Great Northern Detention Pond Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Will the project impact the bike crossing along Great Northern? There may be temporary impact to the bike lanes during daytime construction activities, and we anticipate that there may be some temporary lane closures on Great Northern Blvd. Most of the sidewalk around the pond will be closed during construction, but pedestrians and bikers will be able to cross the pedestrian bridge over MoPac and reach Great Northern Boulevard throughout the project.

Will the project include any water quality improvement to allow our dogs to swim in the water? No, the purpose of the water quality pond is to remove chemicals and heavy metals from storm water runoff before it is released into the creek. This helps improve the water quality of the creek, but also means the pond itself is not safe for swimming.

Parking at the area is a problem. The east side of Great Northern is very muddy with a dilapidated bollard and wire railing, making it a hard place to park. This forces people to park on the west side which is not only illegal, but also dangerous since they must dart across Great Northern. We are not able to build a parking lot at the site, but are looking at options to help control the mud on the east side of the street. At this time, we cannot promise a solution, but we are checking whether there is anything that we can do. If the construction contractor needs to remove the bollards and chain for staging their equipment, then we will replace them.

Yellow-crowned night herons and green herons have been observed in the pond. Will the project impact them? An environmental assessment was performed, and the biologist did not observe any heron nests on the site. Since the herons are not nesting here, our biologist believes that any impact on them would be temporary during construction. In addition, we will not do any tree removal during bird nesting season to limit the impact on any other birds that may be nesting at the site.

Can the spillway stamp be made so it doesn’t look like the sidewalk? Yes.

Isn’t the site grandfathered as a ‘dog park’? Part of the site is designated in City Code as a leash free area, which means there is no legal requirement for owners to keep their dogs on leashes in the area. We welcome the neighborhood to walk their dogs, bike and hike in the area when the construction is finished. However, it should be noted that the land is not official park land. It is owned and maintained by the Watershed Protection and Development Review Department for the purposes of flood and water quality control, and we are not planning to add any additional park-like amenities. It is not safe for dogs to swim in the ponds when water is present.

If a sign will be part of the project, can it include the purpose of the site and the site name? We’re not anticipating any additional signage, but we will be happy to include the name of the site if that changes.