FW water gardens

The Fort Worth water gardens hold a special place in my childhood memories. My parents used to take me there every summer when we'd head up north to visit my grandparents in Arlington. I fondly remember throwing pennies into the pools for good luck and climbing around on the non-fountain concrete blocks surrounding the park.

When TBF and I were in the area last weekend we accidentally stumbled upon the water garden district and peeked in to reminisce.

It was a disappointing experience. The main gardens (shown in the picture above) were fenced off with a 7-foot chain link fence. There were no water falls or fountains, in fact the only water in sight was the murky sludge that had accumulated in the bottom pool.

I've since discovered that this main pool is where a 12-year old girl from Chicago, two of her friends, and their father drowned just over a year ago. They were in town for a church convention. The girl slipped and grabbed her friend and they both tumbled into the water. The boy and his father jumped in to save the girls, but all four were immediately sucked underneath the surface. The depth of the pool was over 11 feet. They were all dead by the time paramedics were able to pull their bodies from the pool.

The families of the victims have received a cash settlement, and studies have been commissioned to determine the problems in the gardens and how to remedy them. The city hopes that the water gardens can be renovated and reopened as early as this fall.

The Fort Worth water gardens of my memory are a architecturally spectacular display - layers of concrete blocks, rushing waterfalls and calm pools. They are a wonderful location for families to wade, splash, picnic, and cool off from the Texas heat.

I tossed a penny in the fountain and wished that Fort Worth is able to upgrade the safety features of the gardens and reopen them soon.