Bicentennial Park Masterplan Design

The integration of five native ecological systems in the master plan for a growing community's most popular park helps ensure access to and protection of its natural heritage for generations.

With multiple amenities and features including an 18-hole disc golf course, a summer splash pad, over 55 acres of native landscape and 36 acres of traditional park space, Bicentennial Park is the largest and most popular park in rapidly growing Crowley, Texas. It is home to several local ecosystems, including Grand Prairie tallgrass, Edwards Plateau savanna, and Central Texas floodplain hardwood forests, which support diverse flora and fauna. A 6,000-linear-foot reach of Deer Creek flows through the park and ultimately into the West Fork Trinity River. Runoff from surrounding residential and agricultural development and on-site recreational stressors caused it to become flood-prone and degraded.

The City of Crowley launched a master planning effort to serve its growing population and provide universal access to the park and its natural features while protecting its ecological integrity. As ecological experts on an interdisciplinary team led by TGB Partners, Biohabitats helped the city create a community-oriented master plan that not only expands and enhances park amenities and connectivity, but also protects habitat and guides sustainable land use.

Biohabitats analyzed existing data, assessed the Deer Creek stream system, and evaluated opportunities and constraints. Informed by the assessment and guided by community input, Biohabitats worked with the planning team and the city to develop concept plans to restore Deer Creek and its on-site tributary, along with the floodplains and riparian corridors of both waterways. The concepts integrated native vegetation, public access, and opportunities for education and recreation.