Harris County Precinct 4 will hold a grand opening celebration for its newest park on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know about the park and the events happening that day:
  1. Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve is located at 20215 Chasewood Park Drive, Houston, along Hwy. 249 and the Cypress Creek Greenway.  The 80-acre park features the 40-acre Marshall Lake and a 1.7-mile paved trail circling the water.
  1. The grand opening will be held Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. During the event, visitors can explore the lake by canoe or from Precinct 4’s pontoon boat, fish from the banks and attend several educational nature presentations.
  1. The park acts as a natural flood plain buffer, absorbing stormwater during heavy rainfall, said Dennis Johnston, Harris County Precinct 4 parks administrator. “They act like giant sponges, slowing floodwaters, capturing sediment and absorbing runoff.”
  1. Harris County Precinct 4 was able to develop the park through a building donation from the Prestonwood Forest Utility District. The preserve land was originally donated by Kickerillo Companies and Mischer Investments, developers of the nearby The Vintage community, but the cost of building staff offices in the park was prohibitive, Precinct 4 Commissioner Jack Cagle said. PFUD donated a former fire station located on the property for the county's use. The donated building will save the county $2 million in construction costs, Johnston said.
  1. The facility will have restrooms and showers and can be used as a camping site by scouts. The park’s director and caretakers will provide educational and recreational programs at the site. Additional amenities slated for the park include fishing piers, a picnic pavilion, an outdoor classroom and an amphitheater.