Community Invited to Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park Ribbon Cutting March 19

Escambia County invites the community to a ribbon cutting Thursday, March 19 at 1 p.m. to celebrate the opening of Carpenter Creek Headwaters Park, the newest park in Escambia County.

The ribbon cutting will take place at the park, located along Carpenter Creek at 725 E. Olive Road. One or more Escambia County Commissioners will be in attendance.

"I'm so 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," District 3 Commissioner Lumon May said. "Parks are a vital outlet for children and families, and by adding another park to our community, we enhance the quality of life for all of our residents. I want to thank our county staff and project partners for recognizing the importance of this project, and I hope residents of District 3 and throughout Escambia County will enjoy this new amenity for generations to come."

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 2.6 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 has been a long time coming, and I'd like to thank our staff for their hard work completing this project for our community," Natural Resources Management Director Chips Kirschenfeld said. "The goal of the project is to balance environmental restoration with the needs of the community, and it's been exciting to see the project come to fruition. We're always looking for ways to build more equitable and resilient communities, and we look forward to completing additional projects like this for our residents."

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.