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Pictured: Lee Aquatic Park | Irving, Texas

 

Across Texas, park systems are diving into a new era of aquatic innovation. According to the CDC, people in the U.S. take over 300 million swimming visits each year, making swimming one of the most popular sports activities overall and the most popular among children and teens. Cities, parks, and recreation departments throughout Texas are taking note – revitalizing aging pools, adding splash pads that energize neighborhoods, and reimagining entire aquatic systems through master planning.

At Dunaway, aquatic facilities are a key strength of our multidisciplinary team. With over twenty years of experience in aquatics design, including major water parks, splash pads and spraygrounds, and swimming pools for municipalities, we understand how to turn water into a catalyst for community connection.

In our latest insight, we highlight three standout projects shaping this momentum: the rebirth of Irving’s Lee Aquatic Park, Mansfield’s Gertie Barrett Park splash pad, and the ambitious system-wide vision behind Fort Worth’s Aquatic and Community Center Master Plan. Together, they reflect reinvestment, innovation, and the ripple effect of thoughtful aquatic design across Texas.

Gertie Barrett Park | Mansfield, Texas

Gertie Barrett Park | Mansfield, Texas

Gertie Barrett Park is a new eight-acre neighborhood park offering a welcoming space for families to gather, play, and enjoy nature. Dunaway’s planning + landscape architecture team, in addition to our civil, structural, and hydrology engineers, worked closely with parks staff, residents, and city leaders to create a detailed master plan for this beautiful property. Located along the Hogpen Branch of Walnut Creek in northwest Mansfield, the park features a playground, splash pad, pavilions, and a trail loop, surrounded by open spaces that were once horse pastures, and mature shade trees that provide both beauty and protection from the Texas heat.

The splash pad at Gertie Barrett Park was envisioned as a defining feature from the outset. Unlike most neighborhood parks, where water elements are typically added later, this park prioritized aquatic play at the beginning of the planning process. The decision to include a splash pad was driven by a desire to infuse the park with energy and identity, making it a standout destination for families.

The splash pad was also designed with inclusivity in mind, incorporating a variety of sensory experiences that cater to children with different developmental and cognitive needs. “What we have learned with cognitive and developmental stages is that each child develops their ability to process sensory experiences differently,” explains Adam Brewster, PLA, ASLA, Senior Landscape Architect and Associate Principal, at Dunaway. “It is therefore important to have zones with lower water use that progress through a sequencing path, which moves up to more energetic features.” At Gertie Barrett Park, this was accomplished by featuring zones with varying water intensities – from gentle bubblers to dynamic archways and dumping buckets – allowing children to explore at their own pace and comfort level.

Lee Aquatic Park – Lee Park Pool Replacement | Irving, Texas

Lee Park Pool Replacement | Irving, Texas

The Lee Park Pool Replacement is a transformative aquatic project led by Dunaway in partnership with the City of Irving. Following an audit suggesting a replacement for the pool at Lee Park, the City of Irving contracted Dunaway to lead the public engagement, aquatic programming, and design of this family aquatic center. Confined to the footprint of the existing facility, Dunaway developed a creative layout that meshed with the scale and character of the active community center in this mature neighborhood, situated within a small location.

Dunaway utilized neighborhood meetings and a robust online outreach program to develop a consensus plan, then led the multidisciplinary team through the design and engineering process for the 4,500-square-foot pool, which features a new bathhouse and a modern filtration system. Additional amenities include a beach-entry pool with a custom fabric shade canopy, lap lanes, and water toys, as well as sprays, slides, and basketball goals.

Aquatic and Community Center Master Plan | Fort Worth, Texas

Dunaway’s Planning + Landscape Architecture team is working closely with the Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department to develop a citywide Aquatics and Community Center Master Plan to help shape the future of its pools, splashpads, aquatic centers, and water-based programs. This plan will guide decisions on how to invest in safe, accessible, and inclusive aquatic facilities that serve residents of all ages, abilities, and neighborhoods.

The Aquatic Master Plan will provide multiple phases over a 10–12-month period, including:

  • Facility Inventory: A full review of every public aquatic facility’s condition and amenities.
  • Demographics Analysis: A look at how community trends, income levels, age groups, and peer cities shape aquatic needs. Host community input meetings to better understand the demand and future needs of citizens.
  • Community Engagement: Host community input meetings to better understand the demand and future needs of citizens, in addition to stakeholder and steering committee meetings, and an online survey.
  • Program and Facility Types: Evaluating options like splashpads, lap pools, leisure pools, indoor facilities, and more.
  • Conceptual Designs: Sample layouts to visualize how new or renovated facilities might look.
  • Master Plan Recommendations: A final report with project priorities, estimated costs, and suggested locations for future investment.

Ready to Make a Splash in Your Community?

Water has the power to transform parks into places of joy, connection, and inclusion – and Dunaway’s Planners and Landscape Architects are passionate about helping cities across Texas harness that potential. Whether you’re revitalizing a historic pool, designing an inclusive splash pad, or reimagining your entire aquatic system, our team is ready to dive in with you.