Spring Creek Greenway Web Site

Map of Spring Creek Greenway

"Greenways allow us to treat land and water as a system, as interlocking pieces in a puzzle, not as isolated entities."

Edward T. McMahon, Programa American Greenways

Goals:
1. To connect Precinct 4’s existing park land along the south side of Spring Creek with the remaining undeveloped land (approximately five tracts) to create a 1,700- to 2,000-acre linear park with a canoe launch, parking lots, rest areas, and picnic grounds.

2. A water trail—a marked interpretive trail along a contiguous stretch of the creek—with historical and ecological information will benefit canoeists, kayakers, nature lovers, and the general public.

Si bien el Distrito Electoral 4 sólo puede enfocarse en la adquisición de la propiedad del lado sur de Spring Creek, el Fideicomiso Territorial de Legado ha estado trabajando con diligencia para garantizar la adquisición de la propiedad del lado norte del arroyo, que pertenece al Condado Montgomery.

Note: A 7.5 mile trail from Pundt Park (south of Lexington Woods in Spring) to Jones Park and a 2.5 mile trail from Jones Park to Highway 59 will allow a continuous 10-mile trail along Spring Creek.

Benefits:
Spring Creek is one of only two creeks in Harris County that remain in a state of undeveloped wilderness: Clear Creek is the other. Todos los demás riachuelos y pantanos del Condado de Harris (por ejemplo, Greens, White Oak y Buffalo Bayous) han sido canalizados o pavimentados con concreto.

Los arroyos Spring y Cypress vierten sus aguas en el río San Jacinto y conjuntamente afectan la cuenca del lago Houston, un importante suministro de agua potable para los residentes de Houston y del condado de Harris. The Spring Creek Greenway project will have a direct impact on the water quality of the Lake Houston watershed.

This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the public to enjoy natural beauty and outdoor recreation—such as fishing, canoeing, bird watching, etc.—so close to home.

Adicionalmente, estanques, afluentes, pantanos y riberas secundarias del arroyo, como Spring Creek son extremadamente importantes para disminuir la velocidad, atrapar el sedimento y filtrar contaminantes durante inundaciones importantes.

Debido a las limitaciones a la industria y la urbanización a lo largo del Spring Creek, el valor de la contaminación es bajo, lo cual es un factor principal que contribuye para éste sea considerado un "arroyo saludable".

Las lubinas blancas abundan durante el invierno, mientras que ejemplares híbridos, peces gato y sábalos abundan en otras estaciones del año.

Bald eagles, herons, and egrets, along with many other avian species and wildlife, inhabit the area.

Project funding:
Los cálculos iniciales para el costo del terreno son de $4.5 millones y el Distrito de Control de Inundaciones del Condado de Harris es esencial para garantizar la concesión de fondos con el fin de compensar el financiamiento del condado. Las asociaciones y organizaciones que respaldan la preservación de espacios verdes, tales como la Bayou Preservation Association (BPA), The Park People y el Fideicomiso Territorial de Legado también son esenciales para la obtención de fondos y la asociación con el Distrito Electoral 4 para lograr que un proyecto de esta magnitud se haga posible.

Los cálculos de costo final por infraestructura, personal y mantenimiento no pueden determinarse en este momento.

Precinct 4 has allocated $2.1 million to develop Pundt Park, which will be a recreational park facility with a pavilion, picnic areas, playground, parking lots, and rest rooms. Plans also include a trail system around two naturally beautiful ponds located on the property.

History:
Originally initiated in 1982 as the “Cypress Creek Parks Project” by then Harris County Judge Jon Lindsay, Harris County purchased much of the existing land along Spring Creek. After Commissioner Jerry Eversole realized only a few tracts of land along the floodplain were needed to connect the creek side property from Pundt Park to Highway 59, he sought out partners to accomplish this worthwhile goal that will benefit generations to come. It was also at this time that the project scope was widened to the current plan and renamed the Spring Creek Greenway.