New Washington Prairie Park Project

The Colonel James Morgan New Washington Prairie Project, named in honor of the City’s first settler, was the initial phase of a 50-acre park master plan to create a community recreation area that would provide a natural buffer between the City’s residential community and the Port of Houston’s Barbours Cut Shipping Terminal. Approximately 15-acres of the park was redeveloped, by others, as a constructed wetlands in order to mitigate environmental impacts from a proposed industrial development. The remaining 35-acres was redeveloped by KSA to form the foundation of what is to become a restored coastal prairie preserve consisting of native prairie grasses, shrubs, and trees such as Live Oak, Cypress, and Pecan. Also within this 35-acre area, KSA designed over 6,600 feet of concrete walking trails, an approximate 4-acre pond, and an 8-foot wide pedestrian bridge with a 24-foot square pavilion over the pond. KSA designed the site grading such that all on-site stormwater would be directed to the pond with a pond overflow feeding the 15-acre constructed wetlands. Beyond design, KSA provided construction oversight and administration of the full 50-acre project.