The Garretson Parks Board has been busy this summer ensuring Split Rock Park, Devils Gulch, and the Jaycees Sports Complex remain jewels for the community.
They just recently had the dam at Split Rock Park inspected, which had some areas that could potentially be of concern. At the city council meeting held on September 12, Park Board member Sonya Swanson reported the condition of the dam "was better than expected." The area in the middle that was of most concern was mostly cosmetic, she said.
However, the inspection company did recommend doing yearly reports, taking photos and videos to log water flow and to ensure there wasn't any missed deterioration. Swanson stated she has done this, and created a file at the city office.
She also reported that cover crops and seeding is taking place in a few areas of Split Rock Park that have been re-worked in the past two years. These areas have a goal of encouraging native and pollinator plant growth, as well as creating spaces within the park for visitors to enjoy nature.
The board installed pathways within the area north of the playground, which should help keep foot traffic to a minimum within the growth area but allow everyone to enjoy the plants. That same area also saw zinnias seeded and come to fruition this past summer, and sedums planted a few weeks ago.
Over the past two years, that entire area has seen an overhaul, first from removing a large amount of volunteer growth (including buckthorns, an invasive bush-type tree that contains large thorns), then by re-locating large quartzite rocks and clearing off quartzite that was already in the space but hidden by dirt and overgrowth.
Within the next two summers, more native and pollinator plants should start growing in the bare spaces as they take hold.
Along with the parks, tree inventory has been at the top of the city's priority list. This past week, SD Dept of Agriculture and Natural Resources' John Hartland has been leading a team around Garretson to catalog all trees in public areas and right-of-ways. All trees in those areas will be placed into an electronic database to help the city understand how many trees will be impacted by the emerald ash borer, how many could be impacted in the future due to other invasive species, and to help diversify Garretson's tree cover. They began in Split Rock Park on Monday morning, and were making fairly good progress by press time on Tuesday.
Article continues below
Enjoy this free article! The Gazette is proud to present the local news of Garretson, South Dakota, giving its subscribers news of interest, school coverage, and local/statewide government coverage. Your support of the Gazette and its advertisers ensures this coverage will continue into the future. Consider getting your subscription today! E-edition subscribers get access to their issues sooner than anyone else, both on this site and in your email inbox.
