May 8, 2010 - New Park Surface
Madison CCA's new surface of crushed stone (CS), debuted this weekend, thanks to the concerted efforts of the park's County Manager, Lyndell Core, who was at Madison until late Friday night making sure the park would be ready to reopen Saturday morning. Unfortunately, unusually strong winds made the park much dustier than it will be once the final finish has been applied. Later this week, the County plans to apply about an inch of water to the surface to further settle the CS.
CS is the preferred surface for dog parks. It does not absorb water or urine and will not support growth of grass or weeds. It is heavier than dirt so it creates less dust and facilitates drainage. It is environmentally safe and animal friendly. In fact, it is the premier surface recommended by animal-interest groups for use in dog parks, outdoor kennels, and horse corrals. Many of the newly renovated dog parks across the country have adopted this surface as a standard.
CS is much healthier for the dogs and soft enough that they will not get hurt on it; it's very easy on their paws and hips. Furthermore, it is easier to clean so there will be less fecal contamination, and it dries quickly so it will not provide a breeding ground for gardia, lepto or parasitic worms. You can also stop worrying about intestinal punctures from your dog eating wood chips. Other benefits of CS are that it can be easily brushed off of the dog’s fur, and has good porosity, which allows water to drain into underlying soil. There is, however, a downside. CS can act like a fine-grained sandpaper on hardwood floors, so shoes and dog paws should be wiped down before entering a house with wooden flooring.[i]
It is very important that we watch our dogs carefully so that we can fill in any holes that they might dig. Left unrepaired, such holes will ruin the new surface and be hazardous to pups and owners alike. Tools to repair holes are stored in the shed. (FYI, human and canine first aid supplies, as well as extra plastic bags can also be found in the shed.) Please don't be shy about letting another owner know that his dog is digging (or pooping).
The picnic tables and been repainted and a plumber is scheduled to repair a leak in the pipe feeding the water fountain. Unfortunately the water will be off until this repair is complete.
Please send you comments or concerns to madison.dogs@verizon.com.
[i] Liberally adapted from "Dog Parks: Benefits and Liabilities," (thesis), Laurel Allen, University of Pennsylvania, 2007.
CS is the preferred surface for dog parks. It does not absorb water or urine and will not support growth of grass or weeds. It is heavier than dirt so it creates less dust and facilitates drainage. It is environmentally safe and animal friendly. In fact, it is the premier surface recommended by animal-interest groups for use in dog parks, outdoor kennels, and horse corrals. Many of the newly renovated dog parks across the country have adopted this surface as a standard.
CS is much healthier for the dogs and soft enough that they will not get hurt on it; it's very easy on their paws and hips. Furthermore, it is easier to clean so there will be less fecal contamination, and it dries quickly so it will not provide a breeding ground for gardia, lepto or parasitic worms. You can also stop worrying about intestinal punctures from your dog eating wood chips. Other benefits of CS are that it can be easily brushed off of the dog’s fur, and has good porosity, which allows water to drain into underlying soil. There is, however, a downside. CS can act like a fine-grained sandpaper on hardwood floors, so shoes and dog paws should be wiped down before entering a house with wooden flooring.[i]
It is very important that we watch our dogs carefully so that we can fill in any holes that they might dig. Left unrepaired, such holes will ruin the new surface and be hazardous to pups and owners alike. Tools to repair holes are stored in the shed. (FYI, human and canine first aid supplies, as well as extra plastic bags can also be found in the shed.) Please don't be shy about letting another owner know that his dog is digging (or pooping).
The picnic tables and been repainted and a plumber is scheduled to repair a leak in the pipe feeding the water fountain. Unfortunately the water will be off until this repair is complete.
Please send you comments or concerns to madison.dogs@verizon.com.
[i] Liberally adapted from "Dog Parks: Benefits and Liabilities," (thesis), Laurel Allen, University of Pennsylvania, 2007.
