Can someone clean up this dog park mess?
| Friday, Nov 05 2010 02:10 PM
Last Updated Friday, Nov 05 2010 02:10 PM
Q: My wife and I have been taking our dog to the dog park on University Avenue for the last two months and were wondering if anything is being done about the mud hole on the west side. It has been muddy since we started going but since the last bouts of rain, the puddles have gone from a large area of standing water to a large area of stagnant mud.
The dogs love it but the stench is pungent (think sewer) and the owners try desperately to keep their dogs from getting in it, going so far as to drive all the way across town to the Kroll Way or Montclair parks, both of which are 95 percent dry.
The stagnant mud is a health hazard to both the dogs and owners and should be treated as such before more rain comes. I understand that these parks are converted sumps but something has been done to both other parks to prevent this issue, for the most part, and am wondering what needs to be done with the east side park.
-- Shad Whitten
A: Bakersfield Recreation and Parks Director Dianne Hoover responded:
The dog park at University Park is still a sump that is also used as a dog park. When it rains, wet areas do appear. Park crews normally put a temporary fence around the wet area.
The soil at University Park creates challenges that are more difficult to address long-term than in other areas of the city, such as Kroll Park. The soil is heavy clay, so the water does not percolate into the ground as fast as in sandy soil.
This time of year it is especially difficult to keep the sump dry due to run-off from nearby lawns. Residents are converting to winter rye, and they tend to water more than usual, so the water collects in the sump.
Parks crews will continue to work with the city Water Resources Department on solutions.
