Serve Our Dog Areas Soda

ASSIST PUBLIC PARK SYSTEMS IN MANAGING, STEWARDING AND IMPROVING OFF-LEASH DOG RECREATION AREAS. EDUCATE CITIZENS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP. PROMOTE THE CONCEPT OF OFF-LEASH DOG RECREATION.

PARK OPERATIONAL EXPENSES: MARYMOOR DOG PARK IS A 40 ACRE OFF-LEASH DOG AREA LOCATED WITHIN MARYMOOR PARK OF THE KING COUNTY PARK SYSTEM. AN ESTIMATED 1,000,000 PLUS VISITATIONS FROM CITIZENS THROUGHOUT OUT KING COUNTY WERE MADE TO MARYMOOR DOG PARK IN 2021. IN OCT 2020, S.O.D.A. ENTERED INTO A NEW 5 YEAR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS CONTRACT WITH KING COUNTY THAT EXPIRES IN 2025. APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MARYMOOR DOG PARK USERS BENEFITED FROM THESE OPERATIONAL ACTIVITIES CARRIED OUT BY S.O.D.A. IN 2021. PORTA POTTY MAINTENANCE: S.O.D.A. PAID FOR TWICE WEEKLY SERVICE FOR TWO PORTA POTTIES. PLASTIC BAGS FOR "POOP SCOOP": S.O.D.A. PURCHASED 1,200,000 PLASTIC "POOP BAGS" FOR CLEANING UP AFTER THEIR DOGS.

MAINTENANCE: TRAIL RESURFACING: WITH THE LIFTING OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS, S.O.D.A. WAS ONCE AGAIN ABLE TO HOLD ITS TRADITIONAL "3 BIG WORK PARTIES" TO RESURFACE THE DOG PARK'S OVER 25,000FT OF TRAILS WITH "HOG FUEL" (CEDAR BARK/SAWDUST). OVER 300 VOLUNTEERS PARTICIPATED BY DONATING 851.5HRS OF PITCHFORKING, WHEEL-BARROWING AND RAKING LABOR TO RESURFACE & PREPARE THE TRAILS FOR THE WINTER WET SEASON. FIELD & TRAIL CLOSURES & REPAIRS: IN JANUARY 2021, THE DOG PARK EXPERIENCED WIDE SPREAD FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAIN, DITCHES OVERFLOWING, & THE SAMMAMISH RIVER RISING. VOLUNTEERS SPENT 215HRS INSTALLING, MOVING AND REMOVING TEMPORARY FENCING TO CLOSE THE FLOODED AREAS, TO REPAIR DAMAGED TRAILS, TO SAND MUD AREAS, AND TO RESTORE FLOODED FIELDS BY SEEDING AND SPREADING STRAW ON THE DAMAGED AREAS. INVASIVE WEED CONTROL: 147.55HRS OF VOLUNTEER LABOR WAS DIRECTED TO DIGGING, PULLING & CUTTING INVASIVE WEEDS. HERON PROTECTION FENCING: THE MARYMOOR PARK COLONY OF GREAT BLUE HERON RETURNED TO THEIR NESTS IN THE COTTONWOOD TREES ABOVE OUR BUSY DOG PARK IN 2021. VOLUNTEERS DONATED 26HRS OF LABOR TO INSTALL TEMPORARY CLOSURE FENCING AROUND THE AREA TO SEPARATE BIRD & HUMAN/DOG ACTIVITY & THEN REMOVED IT WHEN THE BABY HERON FLEDGED. GENERAL MAINTENANCE: S.O.D.A. VOLUNTEERS SPENT OVER 200HRS KEEPING MARYMOOR DOG PARK CLEAN BY DOING "POOP" & LITTER PICK-UP. 328.75HRS OF VOLUNTEER LABOR WENT TO CLEANING UP FALLEN TREES, CLIPPING VEGETATION, TRIMMING TREES, WEED-WHACKING FENCE LINES, BENCHES & BRIDGES. AN ADDITIONAL 138.5HRS OF VOLUNTEER LABOR WERE USED TO REPAIR FENCES, MAINTAIN SIDEWALKS & BRIDGES, BLOW LEAVES/MUCK OFF THE RIVER ROAD, REPAIR RIVER ACCESS STEPS, PUT UP "FIRE DANGER" SIGNS, FIX WHEELBARROWS, ORGANIZE STORAGE SHEDS, MEET WITH PARK PERSONNEL ETC.

IMPROVEMENTS: RIVER CORRAL FENCING: AS PART OF THE 1998 ARMY CORP OF ENGINEERS SAMMAMISH RIVER SHORELINE RESTORATION PROJECT, CORRAL FENCING WAS INSTALLED ALONG THE WEST SIDE OF THE DOG PARK RIVER ROAD TO LIMIT ACCESS TO THE SAMMAMISH RIVER. TWENTY PLUS YEARS LATER THE 889FT SECTION OF CORRAL FENCING INSTALLED FROM THE NORTHMOST DOG PARK ENTRANCE HEADING SOUTH ALONG THE RIVER TRANSITION ZONE TOWARDS THE WEIR BECAME DECREPIT WITH MANY BROKEN POSTS & FALLING DOWN SECTIONS NEEDING TO BE PROPPED UP. S.O.D.A. APPLIED FOR A KING COUNTY PARKS CPG GRANT TO REPLACE THIS FENCING. IN LATE 2020, A $52,625 GRANT WAS APPROVED ENABLING S.O.D.A. TO CONTRACT WITH TOWN & COUNTY FENCING INC. TO REPLACE THE 889FT FENCING SECTION IN EARLY MARCH 2021. S.O.D.A. DONATED 91.75HRS OF VOLUNTEER TIME TO PRE-REMOVE FENCE LINE VEGETATION, PUT UP CLOSURE FENCING & SIGNAGE TO KEEP PEOPLE & DOGS OUT OF THE WORK ZONE, BACK-WIRE THE NEW FENCE AND MANAGE THE PROJECT. SPLIT-RAIL FENCING: MANY OF THE MARYMOOR DOG PARK SPLIT-RAIL FENCE LINES ARE OVER 19YRS OLD AND DETERIORATING. S.O.D.A. VOLUNTEERS REMOVED AND REPLACED 1,200FT OF OLD, FALLING-DOWN SPLIT-RAIL FENCING WITH 171.75HRS OF LABOR. DUE TO STRAINED & UNRELIABLE SUPPLY LINES DUE TO COVID-19, S.O.D.A.'S $7,500 SPLIT-RAIL FENCING ORDER WAS NOT IN STOCK TO PURCHASE UNTIL DECEMBER WHICH WAS TOO LATE TO USE IN 2021. PARK BENCH SLATS: IN 2020 S.O.D.A. HAD PURCHASED SLATS TO REPLACE THE OLD ROTTING SLATS ON 8 DOG PARK BENCHES. IN 2021, S.O.D.A. VOLUNTEERS DONATED 49HRS OF LABOR INSTALLING THE NEW SLATS, BUILDING BENCH BOXES AROUND 4 OF THE BENCHES & DOING VARIOUS INSTALLMENT CORRECTIONS ON OTHERS. WEST INTERPRETIVE AREA GATE: A NEW GATE TO REPLACE THE BROKEN ONE ENTERING THE AUDUBON SOCIETY INTERPRETIVE NATURE AREA WAS BUILT & INSTALLED WITH 12.25HRS OF VOLUNTEER LABOR.

RESPONSIBLE DOG OWNERSHIP EDUCATION TO INCLUDE SIGNAGE, FLYERS, COMPUTER, WEBSITE & EMAIL. OFF-LEASH DOG PARK PROMOTION.