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Before During After
Mesker Park Zoo
Clean Water Indiana (CWI) Project 2003
Before
During
After
Mesker Park Zoo, with the assistance of Vanderburgh County SWCD and CWI funds was able to greatly reduce soil erosion and stabilize the Asian Wild Horse exhibit's pasture area. This project used natural and innovative ways to establish traps for sediment and animal waste run off while improving the pasture quality and enhancing the beauty of the park.
To achieve this goal Paul Bouseman, Mesker Park Zoo and members of his team used native grasses, trees, erosion control blankets, seed, mulch, stones and compost to establish buffer strips, grassed waterways, form windbreaks, and establish pasture and shade. SWCD and NRCS personnel worked closely with Paul to bring about this purposeful and important project.
Lack of pasture cover and unprotected waterways allowed for soil erosion, and resulted in large amounts of sediment and animal waste to leave the site and enter the local waterways. the grassed waterways, buffer strips and improved pasture conditions allow more sediment and water to be absorbed and filtered thus reducing the pollution leaving the pasture area. It then flows into a man-made wetland for further filtering before entering area waterways. This is a win win situation for all of us. the cleaner water is an environmental and economic boost for us. The horses will have better pasture and better environment in which to live and our visits to the zoo will be a little more enjoyable.
Mesker Park Zoo did an excellent job of combining water quality improvement with habitat and park improvement and in a very economic way. Vanderburgh County SWCD is pleased to have been able to assist in this effort.