Watershed Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Watershed Park |
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One of several trails in Watershed Park
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| Type | Municipal |
| Location | Olympia, Washington |
| Area | 153.03 acres (0.6193 km2) |
| Created | 1956 |
| Status | Open all year |
| Website | http://olympiawa.gov/city-services/parks/parks-and-trails/watershed-park.aspx |
Watershed Park is a cool 153-acre park in Olympia, Washington. It's like a special kind of forest called a temperate rain forest. Long ago, in the late 1800s, this park was super important because it provided almost all the drinking water for the city of Olympia from its underground wells.
The city took over running these wells in 1917. They used them until the 1950s when Olympia found new ways to get its water. In 1955, there was a plan to cut down the trees and sell the land. But people in the community really loved the park and fought to save it! Because of their efforts, a rule was made to protect the area as a city park. Even today, you can still see old pipes and other parts of the original water system along the park trails.
Park History
This park gets its name from the "watershed" of Moxlie Creek. A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into one place, like a river or a creek. The first water wells for Olympia were dug here in the late 1800s.
A powerful businessman named Henry Clay Heermans bought the entire water system in 1909. Then, in 1917, he sold it to the City of Olympia. After the city used the wells for many years, they planned to cut down the trees and sell the land. But people who loved the park fought back! There was even a big legal battle that went all the way to the Washington Supreme Court.
Thanks to these efforts, the park was saved! A city rule was put in place to protect it forever. A local environmental hero named Margaret McKenny is especially remembered for helping to make Watershed Park a protected place.
What You Can See in the Park
The heart of Watershed Park is the Moxlie Creek Springs Basin. This is one of the biggest spring areas in the whole region! The park is completely covered by a temperate rain forest, which means it's a forest that gets a lot of rain but isn't as hot as a tropical rainforest.
You'll find interesting plants like skunk cabbage and salmon berries growing along Moxlie Creek. The creek winds its way through the park and gets its water from underground sources and rain runoff. Many different kinds of fish live in the creek, including Chinook, coho salmon, and coastal cutthroat trout.
The park is also home to many trees, such as big leaf maple, douglas fir, red alder, and incense cedar. You can also spot huckleberry, Oregon grape, licorice fern, sword ferns, and devil's club.
There's a cool trail called the G. Eldon Marshall trail that's about one and a half miles long. It goes around a large part of the park. As you walk, keep an eye out for old pipes and other parts of the water system that used to be here. They are scattered throughout the park!
There are plans to make the paved Karen Fraser Woodland Trail even longer. It will eventually run along the edge of Watershed Park. This will connect the park's hiking trails to the Tumwater Falls park, making it easier for people to explore both areas.
Park Care
Sometimes, the park has had problems with tiny insects called gypsy moths. These moths can harm the trees. People work hard to keep the park healthy and protect its beautiful forest.
