Parkdale

Parkdale Park 

Background

Parkdale (or Hayesville) Park has been owned by the Marion County since 1962. This 6-acre site is an undeveloped park in east Salem, and is managed as greenspace. Management has traditionally been limited to mowing and litter pick-up. In the early 1990's, Marion County Public Works adapted the site to provide some limited stormwater retention capacity. This work involved some minor regrading of the site and the installation of stormwater sewer pipes. Since then, the site has been largely undisturbed.

Wetlands

In the summer of 2001, Marion County Public Works corrected a road safety problem in the Labish basin. This construction project disturbed a small area of wetland (0.14 acres), which required the construction of a wetland (0.35 acres) to mitigate the loss of the original wetland. Marion County saw an opportunity to build a wetland in Parkdale Park to provide the mitigation. By constructing the wetland in Parkdale Park, the county could not only meet its legal obligations, but also provide increased stormwater retention, enhanced wildlife habitat, increased biodiversity, environmental education opportunities, improved water quality, and a beautiful greenspace for area residents.

The Parkdale Park wetland occupies about 0.35 acres in the south end of the park, near the stormwater ditches. It consists of shallow (vernal) wetlands that hold water in the spring and dry out in the summer. Marion County  planted native grasses, flowers, and sedges in the wetland area. This vegetation will be mowed annually to discourage brush growth and weedy species. Seventy Oregon ash trees were also   planted on the site to help cool the stormwater, stabilize the soil, and uptake excess nutrients. Once they are established, the trees will be pruned of their lower branches to ensure that the park has clear lines of sight (to help discourage unwanted activities).