Overton Bark fountain repairs and closure
We’re sure you’ve noticed that Overton Bark can get a little bit soggy after a rain, especially in the area around the water fountain. We’re happy to let you know that this problem should soon be a thing of the past.
Beginning this week, we’ll be closing the all-dogs side of Overton Bark to make repairs to the fountain and drainage system. This will involve digging trenches to install new pipes, so for your dogs’ safety, please do not enter the all-dogs side until construction has been completed in a few weeks. All dogs will be welcome in the small-dogs side until that time.
So what does this project entail? The soupy soil is caused by too much moisture building up in the underground drainage system, combined with the soil compaction caused by hundreds of paws tamping it down each day. So we’ll be removing all the mucky soil and replacing it with fresh surfacing. Then we’ll move the water fountain into a sunnier area near the center of the dog park, so that the ground will dry more quickly following spills.
We’ll also be quadrupling the size of the drainage field below the surface of the dog park, so that it can hold more water during storms. And instead of the water building up under the dog park itself, we’re installing a pipe so that if it does overflow, it will do so outside of the fence. All of this should add up to a much more pleasant experience for our many canine visitors (and the people who bathe them!).
We’d like to thank our partners at the City of Memphis, A2H, and Wagner General Contractors for helping us out with design and construction, and Hollywood Feed for generously investing in this repair project. We appreciate your patience over the next few weeks as we make these improvements!
Volunteer at the dog park!
Want to help spruce up Overton Bark? We’ll be spreading fresh mulch throughout the small-dogs side, and some of the all-dogs side, on Saturday, May 30 from 10:00a.m. to 1:00p.m. If you’re handy with a rake, we would love to have some help! RSVP here.
