Platte County Parks and Recreation is committed to practicing sustainability. Learn more about some of our most impactful methods below.
Rain Gardens
Clean, fresh rainwater is a precious resource and Platte County Parks & Recreation is proud to be a part of a local rain garden initiative. Rain Gardens are planted with native flowering plants and grasses in an existing or created shallow depression. They collect run-off water and allow it to be filtered before it is absorbed into the ground which protects the water quality of our streams and lakes.
Platte County has planted two rain gardens to date, one is located on Prairie Creek Greenway near the south trailhead and the other is located at Platte Ridge Park on the maintenance vehicle access road.
Rain Barrels are another way you can help keep water clean. Rain barrels attach to the downspouts on your house or commercial building and collect the water from the roof. This helps in two ways. One, it reduces the quantity of water rushing into the creeks from hard surfaces, reducing erosion. Two, it saves water for you to use to water plants in the hot summer months and saves money on your water bill!
It only takes 1/4 inch of rainfall runoff from the average roof to completely fill the typical 55-gallon barrel.
To learn more about rain gardens, contact Platte County Parks at (816) 858-3419
or visit www.rainkc.com.
Water Protection
Platte County is actively preserving land along streams, rivers, lakes and other sensitive natural areas. This land will be saved for low-impact, natural and recreational uses that help Platte County to be a healthier, more quality place to live.
In the 2009 Parks Master Plan update 61% of county residents said it was important to acquire land along streams to improve quality and reduce flooding risks. Click here to look at the Parks Master Plan.
Prairie Creek, partially located in the County's Prairie Creek Greenway, is included in the Missouri Stream Team monitoring program, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Last fall, a group of volunteers performed a survey of the creek. The survey was performed by stirring up the water to release sediment, debris and aquatic creatures which are captured in a filter. The information is used as a baseline to monitor the creek's water quality. The survey revealed that Prairie Creek has excellent water quality!
For more information on the water protection practices, call the Parks & Recreation office at
(816) 858-3419.
Recycling
Plastic bottles and aluminum cans will be collected at Parks and Recreation facilities where trash is collected. Blue bins are placed next to each trash can to make it easy for you to choose to recycle!
We encourage diverting much of the waste generated in the parks and greatly appreciate your support in this effort. Choose to use the right bin!
Today the most common products in recycling programs are paper products, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum.
Taking just a moment to put your newspaper and soda can in the recycling bin will save everyone years in environmental harm from production of new materials, overcrowded landfills and the depletion of our natural resources. Please recycle!
Check out the following links for more information about recycling in your area:
Grow Native
The County has restored or cultivated over 100 acres to native prairie plants in several locations. Some of the best examples of this can be found at Platte Ridge Park, Prairie Creek Greenway and Green Hills of Platte Wildlife Preserve.
Grow Native! is a planting program utilizing native plants that are adapted to our region’s climate & soils and provide many benefits while beautifying our surroundings. Because they are adapted well to the climate they use less resources such as water and fertilizer to grow well.
The native plants also are better able to grow in our soils and establish healthy root systems which create stronger plants and better soils for water infiltration and cleansing.
Finally, native grasses and wildflowers require less mowing, if any, to be maintained. The less acreage planted in turf grass, the less to be mowedwhich means a reduction in pollution from gas-powered engines. Visit www.grownative.org, a joint program of the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Agriculture, for more information.