Release from the City of Newton
NEWTON, Kan. — The Newton City Commission approved final plans at their meeting this week for a new public wetlands park. The Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams (KAWS) has been working with Newton, the R. Michael Rhoades Foundation, and various other partners over the past two years to develop the new park.
The 7.2-acre park will be built adjacent to the City’s existing manmade wetlands. Those wetlands, which were built along with the Sand Creek bank restoration project in 2009, are fed by effluent water from the adjacent Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The area is very popular with wildlife, especially waterfowl, and bird counts have logged over 150 different species at this location. The City of Newton cannot grant full public access to the site, however, because when the city gets very heavy rains, raw sewage can occasionally be discharged to the wetlands for some minor natural treatment before it flows to Sand Creek.
The new wetlands project will be fed by stormwater runoff rather than effluent. Its public access will include a walking trail with elevated boardwalks, interpretative signage, and some higher berms so visitors can view the wildlife in the existing City wetlands. It will also include additional parking that will accommodate school buses for field trips.
The Newton-based R. Michael Rhoades Foundation stepped forward and gave $100,000 toward the project. Mr. Rhoades was a Newton native who had a deep appreciation for the outdoors and wildlife.
KAWS has been helping to design the project and pull together multiple other private funding partners, including Ducks Unlimited, Evergy, and others. A donation from Newton Lions Club will help fund accessibility and signage for low-vision users who do birding by ear, and a grant secured by Newton Rotary Club will fund a series of bird murals by Newton Murals & Arts Project.
The State permitting process is currently underway. The City Commission on Tuesday approved the plans and authorized staff to set a bid date likely in early 2023 when the State approvals are complete. The public can follow updates on the project on the KAWS website.
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