Ghirardi Family WaterSmart Park

The project was funded in part by the Texas Coastal Watershed Program who will use the park as a testing ground for the various storm water systems that were designed and installed. The results may prove the systems’ effectiveness and inform the way we deal with water issues in the future.

Landscape Art, Inc. was the General Contractor for this unique and innovative park. The Houston-Galveston Area Council awards certain projects each year as especially worthy of distinction. In 2014, they awarded this special project for Parks and Natural Areas greater than $500,000 to the city of League City and Landscape Art. Additionally, the Texas Recreation and Parks Society (TRAPS) has bestowed the Innovations in Park and Facility Development Award for WaterSmart Park. What a wonderful accomplishment for a project that is a true treasure for the League City community!

The park’s noteworthy features include two cisterns that gather and store rainwater. A pump system pressurizes the saved water and sends it through an irrigation system that replenishes a vegetative roof. Also, the park includes multiple Rain Gardens that act as natural filters as they process rainwater runoff through the root systems of a variety of beautiful bog plants. The Rain Gardens become part detention basin and part bio filter. The 3-acre park also includes community garden areas, native plant gardens, play and picnic areas, trails and foot bridges.