In spring 2021 the City began performing upgrades to Lake Forest Park. The work began with rehabilitation of the dam which included dredging of lake, rebuilding the dam, and spillway, which was completed in July 2023. The project came in under budget and the Parks Department used the extra funding to address ADA, safety issues, and maintenance concerns.
The issues being addressed with the funding were to install fencing at the spillway, replace the existing 4-foot-wide sidewalk with a new 10 foot-wide sidewalk to address ADA issues and damaged concrete, address erosion near spillway ramp, and add new benches along the trail.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department assisted the Parks and Recreation Department to obtain and install gravel spawning beds, fish habitat, aerators and a fountain in the lake. This installation promoted a healthy habitat for various types of aquatic life including fish and plant material.
In August 2023, the Parks and Recreation Department began the replacement of the 4-foot-wide trail along the western side of the lake. The new trail is 10 feet wide with additional walks going down to the lake where a future boat dock and seating area is planned. The additional walks are imbedded with glow-in-the-dark stones from Ambient Glow Technologies. This new trail allowed the city to test the product for possible use in other locations throughout the city. The department has also applied for a Texas Parks and Wildlife grant to install a new boat dock with Kayak launch.
What are glow stones?
Glow stones also known as photo-luminescent aggregate were first introduced to the concrete industry in 2008 by Ambient Glow Technology – AGT™ and have since gained global notoriety due to their magical glowing qualities. Unlike shimmering, Mica-laden or fiber optic embedded concrete, glow-in-the-dark stones ‘self-power’. They absorb UV spectrum light and store it until the charging source is no longer present and then begin to give off their energy in the form of ambient light. This maintenance-free, charging and discharging process will continue indefinitely allowing concrete and asphalt surfaces to luminesce for many years to come.
How Do They Glow? Are There Different Types?
In general, glow stones are powered by photo-luminescent (glow) pigment otherwise known as Strontium Aluminate - a non-radioactive rare earth element. This glow pigment is mixed into either resin or glass to create a glow stone. Different grades of glow stones contain higher or lower loading rates of glow pigment. It’s also important to note that there are different qualities of glow pigment as well - the higher the quality, the brighter and longer the glow. Glow stone grades range from hobby-grade plastic pebbles and glass glow chips with a glow time of approximately 10-60 minutes, to high-performance AGT™ Commercial Grade and Ultra Grade non-shrinking resin glow aggregates with glow times of over 10 hours.
Are the glow stones safe?
AGT™ Glow Stones are:
- Non-toxic
- Will last for 20+ years
- Will not shrink or change shape due to any weather conditions
- Can be applied in any design
For past DTV videos about the pond rehabilitation project visit the following links: