YOUNGSVILLE, La. — A local park is giving neighbors and their four-legged friends a place to enjoy the outdoors. But the park does more than offer recreation it also helps address a problem many South Louisiana communities face: flooding.
The park, which opened in 2023, was originally built as a detention pond to improve drainage for nearby neighborhoods, including the Chelsi Meadows area. After the drainage work was completed, the city converted the site into a public dog park.
Brandon Wininger, a local content creator who has lived in Youngsville for more than 12 years, visits the park daily with his dog.
“The pond is great. He loves it. We are here every day,” Wininger said.
The park is designed to capture and retain stormwater during heavy rain, easing pressure on surrounding drainage systems. At the same time, it offers residents a place to connect and pets a place to cool off.
Mayor Ken Ritter said in a statement that the project reflects Youngsville’s approach to combining infrastructure with quality-of-life improvements.
“Most people just see a place for dogs to play, but the Youngsville Bark Park was originally built to provide improved drainage for a nearby subdivision. Once that work was complete, we made the decision to transform the site into an amenity the entire community could enjoy.
Today, the park captures and retains stormwater for the Chelsi Meadows area and the surrounding drainage system while also giving residents a place to connect. It improves quality of life and helps protect nearby neighborhoods from flooding, and that dual purpose is something we are very proud of.
This reflects how we try to think differently in Youngsville. We don’t just build infrastructure, and we don’t just build amenities. We look for ways to do both at the same time so our residents get more value from every project."
For Wininger, the park brings reassurance. He remembers the historic flooding of 2016 and the impact it had on his neighborhood.
“It was pretty bad,” Wininger said. “The water did come up where I live, but it didn’t get into the house. We didn’t have this yet, so hopefully this helps if we ever get a flood like that again.”
He said he believes the city has placed a greater emphasis on drainage infrastructure since the flood.
"I think so, especially with this coming up. There are other ponds, like Sugar Mill Pond with that big old pond. I don’t think the rains flood like they used to, so I do believe it helps us," he said.
Residents interested in becoming a Bark Park member can register through the city’s website.
