Turner Creek Park
Encyclopedia
Turner Creek Park is a municipal park in Hillsboro
in the U.S. state of Oregon
. Opened about 1990, the 12.5 acres (50,585.8 m²) park is located in the middle of the city along Turner Creek near southwest 32nd Avenue between Tualatin Valley Highway
and Main Street. The park includes a playground, restrooms, several sports facilities, and natural areas with trails.
, with volunteers providing the labor to plant the trees. During the summer of 1992 some trees at the park died due to a drought
. The city sought to receive 75 live former Christmas tree
s in donations from local residents after Christmas in 1992 to plant at the park to replace those that died.
From 1993 to 1994, the city’s parks and recreation department worked with civic groups and used a grant to improve the natural areas of the park, which included consolidation of a variety of trails, plantings, and adding bird houses. A wildflower garden was added in 1997. Bisected by Turner Creek, the wetlands area of the park and the creek have experienced numerous sewer overflows beginning around 1995. An older sewer line runs along the creek and passes through the park on its way south to the wastewater treatment
plant operated by Clean Water Services
at Rock Creek. The city was fined $32,000 by the state over its clean up of spills in 2006.
The park played host to Heritage Christian School
’s Latin Olympika games in 2003. City residents rejected a bond measure in November 2008 that would have paid for improvements at Turner Creek Park among six other parks as well as a recreation center at 53rd Avenue Park
. As of August 2009, Turner Creek was one of only three parks in the city that had not been adopted under the parks departments adopt a park program.
s, one soccer field, and two softball fields.
The natural area on the west side of the park has paved and wood chip trails leading to a boardwalk and bridge across Turner Creek. These trails run down a small canyon that separates the improved portions of the park from the creek and connect to the elementary school. About four acres are along the creek, which was changed to meander through the area which includes ponds and islands. The city changed the stream by building small dikes that are closed in the summertime to collect water and create pools for use by wildlife, including Great Blue Heron
s. Other animals at the park include garter snakes, gulls, frogs, fish, and blackbirds among others. Flora include purple iris, sedges, nodding beggar-tick, knotweed, jewelweed, and Veronica.
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
in the U.S. state of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. Opened about 1990, the 12.5 acres (50,585.8 m²) park is located in the middle of the city along Turner Creek near southwest 32nd Avenue between Tualatin Valley Highway
Tualatin Valley Highway
The Tualatin Valley Highway No. 29 is an Oregon highway which passes through the Tualatin Valley, between the cities of McMinnville and Beaverton...
and Main Street. The park includes a playground, restrooms, several sports facilities, and natural areas with trails.
History
Turner Creek Park opened about 1990 near W. L. Henry Elementary School and southwest 32nd Avenue in the center of Hillsboro. Construction included building dams and trails along the creek, with some labor provided by an alternative school program paid for by the federal government. During construction the city received donation of nearly 100 trees from a local nursery and Portland General ElectricPortland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
, with volunteers providing the labor to plant the trees. During the summer of 1992 some trees at the park died due to a drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
. The city sought to receive 75 live former Christmas tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
s in donations from local residents after Christmas in 1992 to plant at the park to replace those that died.
From 1993 to 1994, the city’s parks and recreation department worked with civic groups and used a grant to improve the natural areas of the park, which included consolidation of a variety of trails, plantings, and adding bird houses. A wildflower garden was added in 1997. Bisected by Turner Creek, the wetlands area of the park and the creek have experienced numerous sewer overflows beginning around 1995. An older sewer line runs along the creek and passes through the park on its way south to the wastewater treatment
Wastewater Treatment
Wastewater treatment may refer to:* Sewage treatment* Industrial wastewater treatment...
plant operated by Clean Water Services
Clean Water Services
Clean Water Services is the water resource management utility for more than 500,000 residents in urban Washington County, Oregon and small portions of Multnomah County, Oregon and Clackamas County, Oregon, in the United States...
at Rock Creek. The city was fined $32,000 by the state over its clean up of spills in 2006.
The park played host to Heritage Christian School
Heritage Christian School (Oregon)
Heritage Christian School was a non-denominational, private Christian school in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1997, the school offered classes from kindergarten through twelfth grade before closing in 2009...
’s Latin Olympika games in 2003. City residents rejected a bond measure in November 2008 that would have paid for improvements at Turner Creek Park among six other parks as well as a recreation center at 53rd Avenue Park
53rd Avenue Park
53rd Avenue Park is a municipal park under development in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Partially opened in 2008, the park covers along northeast 53rd Avenue in the middle of the city. Currently the park includes two multi-purpose sports fields covered with artificial turf with other sports...
. As of August 2009, Turner Creek was one of only three parks in the city that had not been adopted under the parks departments adopt a park program.
Amenities
The 12.5 acres (5.1 ha) park includes athletic facilities, wetlands, and wooded sections. Features include play equipment for children, picnic areas, restrooms, and parking. Sports features are two tennis courtTennis court
A tennis court is where the game of tennis is played. It is a firm rectangular surface with a low net stretched across the center. The same surface can be used to play both doubles and singles.-Dimensions:...
s, one soccer field, and two softball fields.
The natural area on the west side of the park has paved and wood chip trails leading to a boardwalk and bridge across Turner Creek. These trails run down a small canyon that separates the improved portions of the park from the creek and connect to the elementary school. About four acres are along the creek, which was changed to meander through the area which includes ponds and islands. The city changed the stream by building small dikes that are closed in the summertime to collect water and create pools for use by wildlife, including Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
The Great Blue Heron is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North and Central America as well as the West Indies and the Galápagos Islands. It is a rare vagrant to Europe, with records from Spain, the Azores and England...
s. Other animals at the park include garter snakes, gulls, frogs, fish, and blackbirds among others. Flora include purple iris, sedges, nodding beggar-tick, knotweed, jewelweed, and Veronica.