Flowing Well Park, located at 5100 E. 116th St., is now open for the public to enjoy. This destination park received a complete refresh as part of Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation’s (CCPR) Reimagining Parks initiative and the Clay Township Impact Program.
Upgrades to Flowing Well Park include:
- Cool Creek bank restabilization
- Cool Creek runs directly through Flowing Well Park. Over the years, the banks of Cool Creek eroded. Bank stabilization was one of the main goals for this park’s “reimagining” to ensure that the plants, wildlife and trails in the park are protected.
- Impacted areas are undergoing long term restoration to encourage native plant revegetation. To ensure habitat sustainability, access will be restricted to areas receiving restoration and long-term monitoring. Help with monitoring and restoration through the Park Stewardship opportunities for the community and learn more at com/park-stewardship.
- Year-round accessible restrooms
- Due to global supply issues, some roofing materials are delayed. The restroom and shelter roofs will be completed mid-May.
- Parking lot expansion
- The parking lot is now doubled in size. It offers two ADA parking spaces and one van-accessible parking space.
- Updated interpretive signage and trails
- New trailhead access at Gray Road via a sidewalk path
- Updates to the well house
- The artesian well went through all necessary testing before opening to the public. While the water has been tested, there are still inherent risks with drinking untreated water. CCPR and the CDC recommend boiling water from the artesian well before drinking.
- Additional updates include new benches, bike racks, grill, picnic tables under the shelter including one which is ADA accessible.
Before making updates, CCPR hosted a community input meeting in November 2019 to gather feedback and answer the public’s questions.
CCPR Assistant Director Kurtis Baumgartner said these updates are an investment in the future of the park and will keep it sustainable for generations of creek stompers, water gatherers, and explorers.
“People come from near and far to visit Flowing Well Park and explore its unique amenities,” Baumgartner said. “One of our core values is ‘planning for the future,’ and we want to invest in our land and amenities so that they are here for years to come. Our Reimagining Parks initiative allowed us to invest in this park to manage the land and ensure we provide quality habitat for our wildlife as well as quality experiences for our park visitors.”
Updates to Flowing Well Park were made possible by the Clay Township Impact Program.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony with local officials and dignitaries will be held at a later date. Information will be posted on CCPR’s social media channels (@CarmelClayParks).