McConnells Spring

wetland and blue hole

McConnells Spring Park is a designated Natural Areas Park in the heart of Lexington. The karst features that allow water to spring to the surface then sink back below ground make this a unique place. These features attracted early European settlers, and the history of this site was part of the founding of the city of Lexington. More modern arrivals to the property are invasive plants. The first phase of our work began in March 2017 with control of invasive species. Although bush honeysuckle had advanced on outlying areas of the park, it was wintercreeper that smothered the ground with a dense mat. A combination of cutting and herbicide applications were used to reduce invasive shrubs and vines enough to allow native sedges and wild rye grass to regain their populations on the forest floor. This section of woods flooded occasionally when large storm events surged through the park with runoff from adjoining industrial properties.

Funding Source