You might see it: verdant fields transforming into temporary ponds after a heavy rain. This isn't a sign of broken infrastructure, but rather a clever urban design feature playing out its role right before our waterlogged shoes. The "accidental lakes" forming in several of our city parks are actually a strategic part of our stormwater management system. As reported by the City of West Jordan, these parks are intended to safely absorb overflow during heavy precipitation, reducing the risk of flooding in your neighborhood.
In what might seem like a scene set for ducks rather than dog-walkers, these parks are designed to temporarily house excess water. Without them, you'd likely be pumping water out of your basements instead of watching it pool in a controlled environment. Our storm drains, which work tirelessly to reroute excess water from our streets to rivers and canals, simply cannot manage to contain it all when the skies decide to open up wide. According to the published report by West Jordan officials, the system is geared to handle a deluge by diverting it to areas that have space to spare, until they gradually dry out.
Acting as both recreational spaces and flood control features, these basins are usually not open for public use. But with some design ingenuity, a basin that is wide and flat can double as a park, serving the community in more ways than one. However, as officials caution, these multifunctional parks need time to recover after inundation. They're designed to drain within two or three days, but actual drying times can vary depending on the weather.
Residents are reminded to exercise patience before returning to play or picnic on these grounds. Once the water recedes, waiting for the ground to completely dry is essential for the health of the park's lawns. "If it’s muddy, not only will you get covered in it, the grass will get churned up and won’t be able to take root again," cited the City of West Jordan. And with stormwater running directly into natural waterways, sans treatment, it's on us to help keep it clean. Any debris, chemicals, or pollutants can easily end up in our rivers, so it's crucial to prevent waste from entering the storm drains to begin with.
