Escambia County Celebrates Opening of Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park

Escambia County celebrated the completion of Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park with a ribbon cutting today, March 19, highlighting this exciting new recreational amenity in District 3.

Escambia County District 3 Commissioner Lumon May welcomed attendees and kicked off the ribbon cutting ceremony, joined by Natural Resources Management Director Chips Kirschenfeld, Department of Environmental Protection Project Coordinator Pearce Barrett, along with other elected officials, local leaders and community members.

"I'm very excited to open Escambia County's newest park in District 3, providing an opportunity for residents of all ages to enjoy nature in their neighborhood," Commissioner May said. "I'd like to express my sincere gratitude to our county staff and project partners for their hard work bringing this project to life. We are doing great things every day in Escambia County, and seeing everyone out here enjoying the park on this beautiful day is a testament to that. This park is for our community, and I look forward to seeing our residents and visitors enjoy it for generations to come."

Located at 725 E. Olive Road, Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park is the first project from the Carpenter Creek and Bayou Texar Watershed Management Plan, a comprehensive plan that examines the environmental health of the overall watershed, including water quality, pollution sources, flooding, habitat, and resiliency. Approximately 7.5 acres of wetlands were restored to build the park, which now features recreational amenities including walking paths, two boardwalks, picnic tables, and a pollinator garden. Drainage enhancements have also been made throughout the park to help reduce pollution and improve flood protection.

The Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park Project was managed by the Escambia County Natural Resources Management Department. The project was funded by Escambia County Local Option Sales Tax and grants from the Florida Trustee Implementation Group as part of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Natural Resource Damage Assessment process.

For full list of parks in Escambia County, visit MyEscambia.com/parks.