Parks staff reported at a Park Board meeting that recent floods inundated portions of Province Park and Community Park, uprooting fence posts, depositing thick mud on courts and leaving debris across multiple sites.

A parks staff member said the amphitheater flooded for the first time since it was built, with water reaching the steps but receding in less than a day. "It did exactly what we wanted it to really. It held flood water and and and then held it receded in less than 24 hours," the staff member said.

The staff member described damage concentrated where the park is designed to hold water. The fence around the yellow playground at Province Park was uprooted from its concrete footing; staff said they will not replace that fence because they plan to move the playground away from the creek as part of a future park bond. The parks staff estimated replacement costs of about $8,000 for the dog-park fence and roughly $25,000 to replace the other damaged playground fence.

Community Park received heavy mud accumulations on the pickleball and new basketball courts. Staff said crews cleaned the pickleball courts but the basketball court remained two-thirds covered and that drying had made removing the mud more time-consuming. Staff planned to use upcoming rain to help loosen dried mud and then complete power washing.

Flood debris included porta-potties and a dumpster that were carried downstream and became lodged under a bridge at Province Park. Staff said county crews removed two large items from the creek and asked residents to report any remaining missing portable toilets. Playground maintenance included power washing at Youngs Creek Park after debris collected on equipment.

Staff noted that parks are intentionally designed to hold temporary floodwater to protect other parts of the city. Beyond cleanup and isolated repairs, the parks staff characterized the event as manageable compared with other floods the city has experienced.

Board members asked about replacement plans and timing; staff said one damaged fence is scheduled to be replaced the coming Tuesday, while other work will await planning tied to a future park bond. The parks staff said they would not spend on a long-term repair at a location slated for relocation.