Introduction

Name

"Restoration Park" comes from the fact that the wetlands are the product of nature, not artificially created. Nature has transformed an unsightly strip mine into wetlands, restoring the area to life.

Purpose

Restoration Park fulfills several goals. It controls flooding (usually caused by run-off from heavy storms) for one-eighth of the 10 square mile (26 square kilometer) Black Bayou Watershed (the Black Bayou in western Ouachita Parish, not the one east of the Ouachita River). Wetlands have a documented ability to remove pollutants from the water flowing through them. The park preserves a wetland site. It offers educational, research, and recreational opportunities to neighboring communities.