GSI was excited to be present at the recent opening of the new Pracht Wetlands Park in Wichita, KS. Having been involved with the project from the start, GSI has worked to help transform this 91 acre, former farmlands site to a wetlands preserve in an urban area.

Pracht Wetlands Park officially opened to the public in late May, though further boardwalks will be completed in more phases of construction.

GSI has been able to work with both the City of Wichita Parks Department and Slawson Development in a unique public/private partnership. GSI provided wetland identification and delineations services, assisted in the Section 404 permitting process, and continues to provide wetland mitigation monitoring services to ensure desired wetland criteria are met.

At the recent ribbon cutting for the opening of the park, members of the Pracht family spoke at the ribbon cutting,  expressing their appreciation of the completion of their father’s long-time goal for preserving and sharing the wetlands with the public.

Pracht Wetlands Park includes 3 concrete walks now and a galvanized-steel boardwalk with an observation point to watch the thousands of migratory birds, such as egrets and herons, that stop at the park every year. Visitors can also expect to potentially see cranes, pheasant, turkey, deer, badgers, beavers, and amphibians during their visits.

You can read more about the park in our previous blog and in the Wichita Eagle.