The Changing Face of Public Parks

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Working with Water

The Naperville Park District manages the Riverwalk properties. Beyond the perennial challenge of finding and keeping labor, one of the biggest difficulties is working with the ever-changing river. Water levels seasonally shift from deepest flooding to dry enough you can almost walk across the riverbed. There have been a number of constructed projects with rock and cement walls to keep erosion at bay.

“What folks might not realize is the degree of slope on the banks,” observed Peggy Motta, Project Manager, PLA of the Naperville Park District. “The slopes are so steep you can’t get equipment in to do tree removals or grind stumps. We’ve gradually been removing invasives like buckthorn and honeysuckle

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