Once in a great while a unique project comes along that meets the special needs of a community. The Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District?EUR??,,????'???s new Basin ?EUR??,,????'??D?EUR??,,????'?? Lake Park for physically challenged children is such a project.

Nestled near the San Joaquin River in a quiet residential setting, the Flood Control District?EUR??,,????'???s Basin ?EUR??,,????'??D?EUR??,,????'?? sits on ten acres along the east side of Forkner Avenue between Barstow and Bullard Avenues. This basin will soon be transformed into an outdoor classroom and playground for the physically challenged.

The Oso De Oro Lake Park will be the first such facility of its kind in the San Joaquin Valley. In addition to its normal stormwater and groundwater recharge function, Basin ?EUR??,,????'??D?EUR??,,????'?? will undergo a $750,000 transformation to create an array of outdoor recreational and educational opportunities for these special children.

After more than two years of preparation and consultation, construction has now begun. Because of the park?EUR??,,????'???s unique purpose and scope, its design and funding have been a collective community effort.

The Basin ?EUR??,,????'??D?EUR??,,????'?? Lake Park is being built around a California nature and history theme. The park will feature an entry plaza with a Mural Wall serving as an entrance to the various ?EUR??,,????'??theme?EUR??,,????'?? areas.

Leading from the entry plaza will be a Railroad Tunnel and ?EUR??,,????'??Golden Bear?EUR??,,????'??, ?EUR??,,????'??Covered Wagon?EUR??,,????'?? and ?EUR??,,????'??Explorer?EUR??,,????'?? Trails. Adjacent to the entrance will be a live stream, a Children?EUR??,,????'???s Playground featuring specialized play equipment developed in and around a Frontier Fort, a picnic area and an Arts and Crafts Pavilion.

Path systems will extend from the entrance to an interpretive maze, a slick basketball court, a large open play area, a water wheel and a gold panning area in the stream. Finally, the pathways will lead to two docks located on a large, permanent lake.

The basic Infrastructure is already in place with all but two acres of the site having been excavated to accept excess storm water. As a wildlife refuge, a living history lesson and an ADA compatible recreation facility, this project demonstrates excellent multi-use and purpose of a site.

Oso De Oro Lake Park includes many unique elements to enhance both its ADA compatibility and the participation of the entire community. Following is a partial list of those elements:

• California Mural Wall
• Railroad Pipe Hoop Tunnel
• Chuck Wagon Camp & BBQ
• Play Tower w/Talk Tubes (Typical)
• Overhead Hoop Tunnel
• Play Tower w/Hands On Fort Gear
• Wheel Chair Access Mechanical Shovels
• Game/Craft Tables
• Art & Crafts Tower/Plaza
• Wood Chain Bridge
• Arch Bridge
• Botanical Garden Display Boards
• Railroad Track Imprints
• 4 Way See-Saw w/Play Pad Access
• Water Wheel w/Gold Panning Chute
• ?EUR??,,????'??U?EUR??,,????'?? Slide w/Wheel Chair Lift
• Chain Bridge & Towers w/Talk Tubes
• Hoop & Rope Overhead
• Raised Sand Play Troughs
• ?EUR??,,????'??A?EUR??,,????'?? Frame Pull Up Tunnel
• Group Tire Swing
• Play Maze Entry Arbor
• Turf Maze To Towers

Without the design of the park, these areas would simply be concrete structures or masses of rock used strictly for flood control. Thanks to landscape architects the areas can become beautiful open spaces shared by children and adults in the community for all the various reasons that parks are utilized.

We live in an era where life goes by so fast that if you blink an eye, you just might just miss it. It is a relief to know that while computers do calculations in nanoseconds and human decisions are made almost as fast, people are still designing places where one can slow down and enjoy the simpler pleasures of life. In almost all cases it is the Landscape Architect who leads the design team. As stewards of the land, working through and with the community, you are the ones who protect the public?EUR??,,????'???s health, safety and welfare, while providing a sense of relief, history, pride, community purpose, and responsibility.