Yauger Park
| Yauger Park | |
|---|---|
  Yauger Park | |
| Type | Sports, recreation, wetlands |
| Location | 3100 Capital Mall Drive SW, Olympia, Washington[a] |
| Coordinates | 47°02′37″N 122°56′33″W / 47.04361°N 122.94250°W |
| Area | 48.99-acre (19.83 ha) |
| Established | 1982 |
| Etymology | Named after the Yauger family |
| Owned by | City of Olympia |
| Status | Open |
| Camp sites | 0 |
| Paths | Sidewalks, jogging path, nature trail |
| Terrain | Flat |
| Water | Wetlands with stormwater retention ponds |
| Parking | Two parking lots |
| Public transit access | Intercity Transit |
| Facilities | Bathrooms, concession stand |
Yauger Park is a mixed-use recreation and sports park in Olympia, Washington across from Capital Mall. The park contains a natural filtering water retention system that serves as a wetland preserve and is home to a community and demonstration garden.
The 49-acre (20 ha) park was created in the early 1980s on land once owned by the Yauger family. The grounds were purposefully constructed to flood and the stormwater retention area was expanded twice, in 1995 and during a large scale project completed in 2011. A system of bioswales, ponds, rain gardens, and weirs can hold up to 27,000,000 US gallons (100,000,000 L; 22,000,000 imp gal) of urban runoff from hundreds of acres in the surrounding West Olympia neighborhood. The natural filtration system connects with other bodies of water, including Capitol Lake, delivering clean water throughout the local ecosystem until it reaches Budd Inlet.
The ponds, located in the southern portion of the park, form part of a 5-acre (2.0 ha) wetland area and during most of the year, is home to various species of aquatic creatures and waterfowl. The stormwater grounds were intentionally built to create a habitat for wildlife. A forested area in the northern portion, near the gardens, is home to a variety of birds.
Most sports and recreational amenities were built as part of the early beginnings of Yauger Park. Features include baseball fields and space for additional sports, a competition horseshoe pit area, a jogging path, a nature trail, playground, and a skate park. The skate park was built in 2000 after a community-led initiative.
Ongoing issues at Yauger Park regarding safety, such as drug use and homeless camps, have been a focal point in the 21st century. Yauger Park contains the last athletic complex created in Olympia.
History
[edit]Yauger Park was first developed beginning in 1982[b] by United States Army Colonel Kendall Yauger after he and his sister, Ruth, sold the land to the city of Olympia.[4][5] The land, part of a larger 410-acre (170 ha) claim, was originally owned by Kendall and Ruth's parents, Reverend and Mrs. Francis Yauger, in the early 20th century. The family claim's acreage was sold over time in parcels that eventually became Capital Mall and the campus of Capital High School.[4]
The park was specifically constructed to be used for both recreational activities and as a stormwater retention area.[6] Baseball fields were constructed between 1980 and 1982[7] and a playground area with wood equipment was added.[8] A competitive, horseshoe pit area was created and the Olympia Horseshoe Pitching Club was formed, practicing at Yauger Park since the early 1980s.[9]
A skate park was constructed in 2000, with improvements made in 2016.[5] The idea for a skateboarding site was first conceived in the late 1990s as a place for skateboarders to legally practice their abilities. Estimated to cost $250,000, skateboarders and residents in the community raised half the funds with the city covering the remaining expenditures.[10]
The first disc golf course in the city was opened at Yauger Park in May 2007; it was a nine-hole course, paid for and built by a local disc gold association.[11] The Yaguer Park community garden was completed in 2011, becoming the second community garden in an Olympia recreational area after Sunrise Park. Consisting of approximately 70 plots, the garden parcels were originally sold to residents for $25 per year;[12] the first plantings were Olympian blueberries.[13]
The park, in 2019, was one of four sites in the city to be a location for glass recycling drop-offs. The city deemed that glass would no longer be recycled via normal trash pickup due to excess costs, recycling difficulties, and international policy changes.[14]
Yauger Park has struggled with safety issues in the 21st century with concerns over drug use and garbage at the site, as well as homeless camping.[15] As of 2025[update], the athletic complex at Yauger Park is the last such type to be constructed in Olympia.[16]
Renovations and upgrades
[edit]Renovation and upgrade projects in the 21st century include an almost $3 million effort completed in 2013 to increase the holding capacity of the stormwater pond system and the construction of a new playground. The play area was original to the park and updated with a section for pre-school children; a 25 foot (7.6 metres)-tall "Mega Tower" was added. An installation of a paved parking lot at the baseball fields was also part of the project.[17] To make room for the additional ponds, the disc golf course was removed.[18]
A bike pump track was opened in 2015. Located at the north end of the park near the skate area, the closed loop circuit was known as the Yauger Park Bike Skills Area.[15]
A $1.4 million renovation project began in June 2022 to restore the ballfields. The original chain link backstop was replaced, deemed too short to protect spectators;[7] the outfield fences had been previously increased in height during a retention pond project in 2011 to protect the wetland area from baseballs.[19] A conversion of the dugouts was undertaken in part to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Additional efforts in the park included concrete work, installation of an irrigation system, and improvements to the pathways on the grounds.[7]
Geography
[edit]Yauger Park is located in an urban area of West Olympia and is immediately west of Capital Mall. Residential neighborhoods and commercial business areas surrounds the park.[20] A forested refuge, once the sighting of a cougar in 2008, borders the park to the north.[21]
Features
[edit]The 48.99-acre (19.83 ha) grounds[c] contain a variety of ballfields or playing surfaces, a horseshoe court, a nature trail, an 11,500-square-foot (1,070 m2) skate park, and a flat running track.[5] Two parking lots are available; one lot rests in the area prone to flooding. The site hosts a summer-only concession stand and a covered picnic shelter.[6] The park contains two gardens, a community garden situated next to the Dirt Works Demonstration Garden.[12]
Retention pond
[edit]Yauger Park was intentionally constructed to flood, specifically during the winter months. A stormwater retention pond, 5.67 acres (2.29 ha) in size, is located at the south end of the grounds and captures urban runoff from approximately 570 acres (230 ha) in West Olympia.[19][22] The system is known as the Yauger Park Regional Stormwater Complex.[20]
The water is slowly released via an underground pipe system into Black Lake Ditch[19] via the Black Lake Meadows wetlands complex. The complex, a 45-acre (18 ha) parcel that was once a homestead at Percival Creek, was a $1.7 million reconstruction effort completed in 1995 to help divert excess water from the park.[23][19] Through a series of other storm ponds and wetlands, the waters connect with Percival Creek and Capitol Lake. The runoff is naturally filtered before it enters Budd Inlet and the Salish Sea. The flooded area of the park becomes a temporary wetland and contains a system of bioswales and weirs to hold up to 27,000,000 US gallons (100,000,000 L; 22,000,000 imp gal) of water.[20][5][22]
The park and its retention pond is part of a larger ecosystem management initiative which includes participation of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and local indigenous tribal nations and communities. Volunteer groups, such as Puget Sound Starts Here and the Stream Team of Thurston County, provide additional resources.[22]
The pond and retention area was expanded beginning in 2009 to combat additional runoff due to an increase of urban development in West Olympia. Despite a holding capacity of 65 acre feet of water, runoff excess in the park had led to increased local road flooding in the 2000s.[2][3] The ponds, made of irregular shapes, were deepened and surrounded with walking paths; a footbridge over the ponds was also built. Rain gardens were constructed as was a new stormwater facility. The original gravel parking lot was replaced with porous asphalt. Specific attention was given to landscaping, built to encourage wildlife such as birds and fish to habitat in the area. Completed in October 2011, the $2.4 million upgrade project was funded by a federal stimulus grant and allowed for an increased capacity of up to 72 acre feet of water, or an additional 20% more runoff. The capture of pollutants, such as heavy metals and oil, was estimated to increase by 60%.[19][17]
Recreation
[edit]The park contains 2 miles (3.2 km) of pathways, including a nature trail that was built by students of Capitol High School in 1986. Two small loops taking hikers past the two gardens in the northwest corner of the park. A 0.75-mile (1.21 km) jogging track loops around the ballfield area.[24]
Environment and ecology
[edit]During low levels of water retention at the park, the pond serves as a wetland area for aquatic, amphibian, and waterfowl species. Aquatic species include beaver, frogs, northwestern salamander, and the Olympic mud minnow, a fish listed under conservation protection by the state.[5][22] Some invasive amphibians have been recorded but native species are considered to be abundant.[22]
Recorded birds at the wetland area include red-winged blackbirds, buffleheads, wood ducks, and mergansers.[22] Listed birds in the forested section include American robin, American goldfinch, junco, and rufous-sided towhees.[24]
The park's demonstration garden was used as a recycling center for native vegetation within Thurston County. Part of an effort known as the Native Plant Salvage Project, the initiative was begun in 1994 to remove plants from construction sites before they were destroyed and placed in "holding beds" at Yauger Park. The plants were then transferred and replanted as part of restorations of waterways in the region or for use in urban landscaping.[25]
Notes
[edit]- ^ An alternate address is 503 Alta Street SW, often used for recycling drop-offs or access to the garden areas.[1]
- ^ Reports during a 2009-2011 stormwater retention upgrade list the beginning year of the park as 1978, based on submitted plans during the project.[2][3]
- ^ The listed acreage has varied based on the source or as the park has been enlarged. Yauger Park was recorded to be 39.7 acres (16.1 ha) in 2004.[6] See other sourcing throughout the page.
References
[edit]- ^ The Olympian staff (September 12, 2023). "An Olympia recycling drop-off site will close temporarily; here's what to know". The Olympian. p. 3A. NewsBank 193FE9F7DD2EAA94. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b Batcheldor, Matt (June 11, 2009). "Improvements at Yauger approved - Council: Grant to help pay for more water retention". The Olympian. p. 1A. NewsBank 128C37D08BD3AA08. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b Batcheldor, Matt (May 21, 2011). "Park pond, garden in works - Yauger: It's costing less than estimated because the construction industry's down". The Olympian. p. 3A. NewsBank 1376AA868C9ECA08. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b "Ruth Yauger - 9/3/23". Olympia Historical Society. September 3, 2023. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "City of Olympia - Yauger Park". City of Olympia. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c The Olympian staff (October 12, 2004). "Yauger Park offers something for everyone". The Olympian. p. 6D. NewsBank 105D42849A9AB931. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b c Lirio, Lorilyn C. (June 20, 2022). "Yauger Park repairs and updates on the way". The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater (JOLT). Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ "What do you look for in a park?". The Olympian. May 22, 2007. NewsBank 1194B3F9D87BF990. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ Pemberton, Lisa (September 6, 2011). "Horseshoes are flyin' - competition: All ages enjoy camaraderie at Yauger Park tourney". The Olympian. p. 1A. NewsBank 1399B97D4D54CBC8. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ Tam, Katherine (August 15, 2005). "Reservoir boarders attract attention". The Olympian. p. 1B. NewsBank 10C0D2DF1E901CA8. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ Batcheldor, Matt (May 23, 2007). "Disc golfers get a place to play". The Olympian. NewsBank 11950A1A95A899F8. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b West, Chris (March 8, 2013). "Olympia planting the seeds for new community gardens". KOMO 4 News. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ Batcheldor, Matt (April 1, 2011). "The city that gardens together - Yauger: Community plots open". The Olympian. p. 1A. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ Bushman, Sammy (January 2, 2020). "New recycling rules in Olympia eliminate glass and more from bins". KING 5 News. Retrieved June 3, 2025.
- ^ a b Ford, Natalie D. (August 11, 2015). "Bicyclists carve out some space at Olympia's Yauger Park". The Olympian. p. 1A. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ Spegman, Abby (August 14, 2018). "Olympia likes Spooner Berry Farms acres for a park". The Olympian. p. 3A. NewsBank 16DCE45F5C64D450. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b West, Chris (March 8, 2013). "Yauger Park facelift nearly complete". KOMO 4 News. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ^ Boone, Rolf (June 7, 2019). "A disc golf course at McAllister Community Park? No thanks, neighbors say". The Olympian. p. 6A. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Dodge, John (December 21, 2011). "Stormwater complex passes test - Yauger Park: Designed for flood control, among other things, it performs well during big storm". The Olympian. p. 1A. NewsBank 13BCA8AE35E2D878. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b c Susan McCleary; Jessica Sandoval; Max Lambert; Claire Kerwin (Summer 2024). "Salamanders, Stormwater, and Skateboards: The Ecological Marvel of Yauger Park". Salish Magazine. No. 24. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ Allen, Chester (July 22, 2008). "Neighbors keep eye out for cougar". The Olympian. NewsBank 1221709CFA3F7BD8. Retrieved June 10, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b c d e f McCleary, Susan. "Yauger Park is special: It's the water!". City of Olympia. Retrieved June 4, 2025.
- ^ "Urban flooding reached serious levels". The Olympian. December 9, 2007. NewsBank 11D6F84944809680. Retrieved June 11, 2025 – via NewsBank.
- ^ a b Muller Hacking, Sue (2003). Take a Walk: 100 Walks Through Natural Places in the Puget Sound Region (2nd ed.). Seattle: Sasquatch Books. pp. 224–225. ISBN 9781570613265. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
- ^ McLaughlin, Julia (September 9, 1994). "Program to save native plants from sites under construction". The Chronicle. p. A3. Retrieved June 9, 2025.