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News

Find the latest news about Buffalo Bayou Partnership and all the doings along Buffalo Bayou.

May 17

Your dog park questions, answered

Why has the Johnny Steele Dog Park been closed since the Tax Day Flood?

The dog park has remained closed because of the release of water from the Addicks and Barker Reservoirs, which were built to prevent downstream flooding along Buffalo Bayou. The release of water being held at these reservoirs can take several weeks after a major flood.

The dog park is in a lower-lying area of Buffalo Bayou Park but has the infrastructure that allows it to be able to withstand high water, silt and debris that comes after a major rain event. For example, the dog ponds have paved bottoms.

Buffalo Bayou Park experiences high water about a half dozen times per year. It also floods, which means water rises to the roadways, which is the official flood stage for Buffalo Bayou. (Water lower than this is not a flood, it is a high water event.)

 

If the dog park floods often, is that a design flaw?

The dog park has been open for 16 months and in that time we’ve had one of the rainiest years on record. The park overall is designed with high water flooding in mind and that’s why we have our procedures in place.

 

What are the procedures after a flood before the Johnny Steele Dog Park is open to the public?

As the water recedes after a high water or flood event, the Maintenance and Operations Team at Buffalo Bayou Partnership will begin assessing areas of the park and trails for any damage. Our priority is the safety of our park visitors. So, our crew begins working on clearing and removing silt from the hike and bike trails as soon as feasibly possible. We then move on to clearing tree debris, trash, assessing and repairing electrical units, assessing and repairing irrigation, inspecting the children’s play area, and cleaning out the dog park ONCE the high water has receded. This entails draining the dog park ponds, and then manually removing sediment from the dog ponds and water pumps. Note that other areas of Buffalo Bayou Park remain open as this goes on.

 

Where else can I find out the status of the dog park?

We post notifications of dog park closures on the homepage of our website (www.buffalobayou.org) and Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

If you are near the dog park, look for the red flag (see question below).

 

What does the red flag mean at Johnny Steele Dog Park mean?

Buffalo Bayou Partnership has installed a flagpole near the dog park to communicate whether or not the dog park is closed. If the dog park is closed, a red flag is raised. This flagpole is visible from both Studemont Street and Allen Parkway.

 

What does BBP do to clean and filter the dog park ponds?

The dog ponds are “cleansed” using an ecological filtration system:

  • Water is pumped from a nearby wetland into the small dog pond.
  • From the small dog pond, the water flows down and aerates in a channel to the large dog pond.
  • From there, the water flows back into the wetland (where it is cleansed) and then circulated back to the small dog pond.

As with any dog park, we highly recommend using the dog washing areas to rinse off before leaving!

For press inquiries, email Trudi Smith, Director of PR and Events, or call 713.752.0314 ext. 103.

News Coverage

  • Buffalo Bayou Partnership’s East Sector Plans Get a $10 Million Boost Houstonia Mag, December 9, 2020
  • What’s next for Buffalo Bayou? $10 million grant accelerates master plan's 3 key projects Houston Chronicle, December 9, 2020
  • Here's the next show coming to the Cistern. Imagine a turntable. Houston Chronicle, November 24, 2020
  • Houstonians toast Buffalo Bayou Park's birthday with picnic under the stars Culture Map, November 11, 2020
  • Houston’s Beloved $58 Million Park Celebrates a Milestone With the Ultimate Starry Night Paper City, November 9, 2020
  • Picnic celebrates Buffalo Bayou Park Houston Chronicle, November 6, 2020
  • Check Out Carmen Herrera: Estructuras Monumentales, an Exhibition 50 Years in the Making Houstonia Mag, October 28, 2020
  • El parque Buffalo Bayou celebra su quinto aniversario Univision, October 26, 2020
  • Buffalo Bayou’s new soundtrack is heard in landscape thanks to ROCO Houston Chronicle, October 22, 2020
  • The story behind the new sculptures at Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Park Houston Chronicle, October 20, 2020
more

Press Releases

  • Houston Endowment Awards Buffalo Bayou Partnership $10M Grant December 9, 2020
  • Immersive Installation by Anri Sala in the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern November 23, 2020
  • Houston Celebrates Texas Arbor Day by planting 600 trees at Buffalo Bend Nature Center November 10, 2020
  • Carmen Herrera: Estructuras Monumentales (En Español) September 28, 2020
  • A “musical scavenger hunt” with ROCO and Buffalo Bayou Partnership September 21, 2020
  • Artful Anniversary: A series of virtual and visual arts events through the month of October to celebrate 5 Years of Buffalo Bayou Park September 10, 2020
  • Carmen Herrera: Estructuras Monumentales September 3, 2020
  • Harris County Flood Control District and Buffalo Bayou Partnership Making Repairs along Buffalo Bayou as part of the Hurricane Harvey Recovery Program August 20, 2019
  • Carlos Cruz-Diez at the Cistern: Spatial Chromointerference April 11, 2018
  • Encounter: Meeting Points on Buffalo Bayou March 5, 2018
more

Monthly Newsletters

  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - January 2021 January 13, 2021
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - December 2020 December 10, 2020
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - November 2020 November 10, 2020
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - October 2020 October 1, 2020
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - September 2020 September 9, 2020
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - August 2020 August 12, 2020
  • Buffalo Bayou eNewsletter - July 2020 July 17, 2020
  • Bringing Buffalo Bayou to You: Part 9 May 28, 2020
  • Bringing Buffalo Bayou to You: Part 8 May 20, 2020
  • Bringing Buffalo Bayou to You: Part 7 May 13, 2020
more

Banking on Buffalo Bayou

  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Winter 2020 January 2020
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Spring 2019 May 2019
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Winter 2019 January 2019
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Summer 2018 July 2018
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Summer 2017 August 2017
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Spring 2017 March 2017
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Winter 2016 December 2016
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Summer 2016 July 2016
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Spring 2016 March 2016
  • Banking on Buffalo Bayou - Fall 2015 December 2015
more

Categories

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