The Northampton MUD maintains nearly 50 acres of parks and trails that are available to all Northampton residents: Northcrest Park, West Park, and the Inway Trails. These parks include two lakes, waterfalls, trails, benches, picnic areas and playgrounds. A catch and release program allows fishing at the two lakes located at West Park and Northcrest Park.
These lakes provide not only beauty but serve as an important ecosystem such as habitat for aquatic life, waterfowl, turtles and ducks. Additionally, the West Park lake serves as a retention basin to manage storm water during heavy rain events.
In the coming months, you will notice a lot of activity at our two lakes. Soon we will begin maintenance and improvements which will help eliminate algae blooms and overgrowth of unwanted plant species, and will promote water clarification and augment aeration. These enhancements will be done in stages over several months.
Last year the trail and lake area at Northcrest Park was enlarged. In the next few weeks, the two sections of the Northcrest Lake will be joined. At that time a flocculant will be added to settle the clay turbidity in the new section. Iris and other species will be planted along the margin to prevent erosion. An aeration system will be added to the Northcrest Lake while at West Park, some selective clearing will take place to improve water flow from the south to north end of the lake.
Additionally, undesirable vegetation will be sprayed and a few weeks later the dead vegetation will be removed. The margins around the lakes will be replanted with several water appropriate species including blue and yellow iris, spike rush and bull rush grasses, and pickerel rush. These plantings will help stabilize the margins and prevent erosion. Further plantings will continue next spring.
TAKE A HIKE and watch the improvements in progress!