Durkees Run Stormwater Park
This story was assigned for Jefferson High School’s print publication, ‘The Booster,’ and was published on Jan. 29, 2024.
When asked about the field of flowers, gardens, and scenic views where Jefferson High School’s Gallop Homecoming Dance is annually held, most students are unaware of its significance. These rain gardens and permeable pavers serve as a way to manage the local watershed around the Greater Lafayette area.
Durkees Run Stormwater park is adjacent to Jeff, near the lot where the Pythian Home once stood. This park had finished construction in 2014, replacing the underutilized tennis courts. This park was designed to be able to manage the watershed by capturing, treating, infiltrating, and conveying stormwater. Durkees Run is a part of the City of Lafayette’s long-term plan for controlling the water quality.
All photos by Addison Jacoby
Constructed by Bowen Engineering, the Durkees Run Streambank Stabilization addresses severe erosion issues through removal of an in-stream sandbar to establish healthy water flow and prevents erosion of the banks. The stream bank is solidified by installed geotextile fabric, erosion control blankets, rip rap (a foundation or sustaining wall of stones or concrete thrown together without order), and native seed.
Durkees Run diverts 100 million gallons of stormwater from the sewer, rainwater, and other natural water sources. Long term, the park will reduce raw sewage overflows and overall improve the water quality of the Wabash River.
Durkees Run Stormwater Park
Some features of the park are the 11 rain gardens located there, all of which are fed water that runs off the adjacent Scheuumann stadium. There are also approximately 6500 square feet of permeable pavers around the park, whose job it is to prevent puddles and flooding. The flood stage plaza consists of native plants and markers to show where the flood level would be when heavy rain occurs. Lastly, the amphitheater is used by the onlookers to teach benefits of the stormwater park and other subjects that could benefit from learning about the watershed.
The City of Lafayette received an award for Durkees Run in 2014. This award was between six cities in Indiana, and the category 50,000 or more in population. IACT’s Community Achievement Award for innovative community projects was won by this stormwater park. The judges of the award were impressed by the environmental and educational benefits.
The educational factor of this stormwater park is a big benefit to the location. Since it is located within walking distance to the high school, many classes go outside to learn about the stormwater park. Junior Peighton Greene’s teachers have brought her outside to the stormwater park many times. Greene comments on the signage around the park, stating, “The signs around tell you about the different flower beds, the stuff that is says it pretty interesting. Most students do not read the signs, even if teachers tell them to.”
Many students do not pay attention when their teachers bring them across the street. Teachers bring them across the street just to sit around, and in turn the students are unaware of the significance. Junior Sam Manzanero brought up how the teachers bring them out there as a free day, “Teachers kind of encourage you to read the sign, but whenever we went out there, it was just a fun thing to be outside.”
Durkees Run Stormwater park is important to the Greater Lafayette community, and needs to be discussed more with students who see and interact with it almost daily. Understanding this community and the ways we keep the Wabash clean is one of the ways that students and adults could understand the world they live in better.
