The Park at Ewing Creek

The Park at Ewing Creek is Nashville's very first eco-park. A concept created by Dale & Associates, eco-parks are constructed wetlands that increase flood capacity—but also contain public recreation areas, walking trails, public greenways, nature view stations, and native grasses and flowers. Our eco-parks are constructed privately for the betterment of our community without any public funding.

5

acres of manmade wetlands

1,000,000

gallons of flood storage

42,000

cubic yards of flood storage

200

new native trees planted

The rains came

In May 2010, flood waters swept through Middle Tennessee. The city of Nashville alone sustained over $2 billion in private property damage and $120 million in public infrastructure damage in the 1,000-year flood. In the aftermath of the flood, we brainstormed how we could assist properties located near floodplains, better equipping them for future flooding. That's when Roy Dale, our founder, came up with the eco-park concept.

Asking the right questions

The property that became The Park at Ewing Creek was formerly an industrial area tightly controlled by rules and regulations. It had been approved in 2008 to be an industrial park with a large floodplain preserved as open space. That floodplain would have been untouchable pastureland, providing little benefit to Ewing Creek, the natural environment, and the surrounding community. But why shouldn't we be allowed to touch the land if we're able to improve it?, we thought.

Water, water everywhere

After a lengthy appeal process, we became the first team in Nashville to receive permits to develop flood land.

Working in collaboration with EarthCredits, a Nashville-based non-profit organization, we designed 5 acres of manmade wetlands that would increase storage capacity for the floodplain. The wetlands serve as a natural habitat for native grasses and wildflowers, reducing runoff rates and improving the water quality of adjacent tributaries. We planted over 200 new native trees to recreate the tree canopy that existed 100 years ago—all without harming or removing a single existing tree.

A walk in the park

Construction is well underway on The Park at Ewing Creek. Once it's finished, our first eco-park will generate over 42,000 cubic yards of flood storage—this equates to over 1,000,000 gallons of volume. It will provide a greenway trail and other walking paths to the public, promoting exercise and outdoor activities. With beautiful landscaping, sitting areas, and other public amenities, The Park at Ewing Creek will enhance and protect the natural environment while improving the lives of the community around it.

As the Park at Ewing Creek nears completion, we're rallying the support of local and federal agencies to permit us to reclaim other flood prone areas and turn them into public green spaces.