Category Overview
Local Parks grants help protect these symbols of vibrant communities, providing places for families to gather and play and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in an era when people spend increasing amounts of their time inside. The WWRP is the largest source of local parks funding in Washington, helping communities fund the acquisition, development, and renovation of vital recreation areas and green spaces.
Project Highlights
Kitsap County Parks and Recreation will use this Phase 1 grant to acquire Hattie’s Pond & Dam, the remaining 9.6-acres of the Elliott estate located along the South Fork of Illahee Creek and adjacent to previously acquired Preserve properties to meet critical Phase 2 community safety needs, and Phase 3 plans for a Watershed Park addition to the Illahee Preserve Heritage Park. Ecological benefits include: (1) The prevention of development of the property. (2) The addition of 9.6-acres and 500 feet of stream and riparian habitat providing access and control of the South Fork of Illahee Creek. (3) Retention of Hatties pond and associated riparian wildlife, and (4) A planned future educational themed Watershed Park and Environmental Learning and Interpretive Center on the 30-acre Elliott estate site, Phase 3.The acquisition simultaneously supports critical community safety issues, Phase 2: (1) The purchase allows for control of the dam property and the securing of funding needed to prevent a dam failure by lowering the height of the dam and installation of a spillway mandated by the Department of Ecology. (2) Relieves the Illahee Community’s concerns of the potential catastrophic dam failure and the resulting washout of residential properties, the Illahee Creek culvert, and Illahee Road. And (3) Eliminates the Port of Illahee’s dredging concerns as the Illahee Creek delta already approaches Port facilities and a washout would extend the delta requiring dredging at the dock.