Welcome to a unique man-made formation turned into something beautiful to give back a little to our Mother Nature.
Vista View Park, officially opened on July 12, 2003, sits on 160 acres of the now closed Davie Landfill. The new park features horse trails, two medium size shelters, restrooms, a fishing pier, and lots of room for kite flying, bicycling, rollerblading and skateboarding.
The Davie Landfill, monitored by the Office of Integrated Waste Management (OIWM) has been closed since 1987. After clean up and restoration of the natural habitat area, it was decided that this property could serve as a public park. OIWM provided the initial funds to develop the site for public use and continues to monitor the remaining 50 acres, as required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), which are not designated for public use.
A secure landfill is a carefully engineered depression in the ground (or built on top of the ground, resembling a football stadium) into which wastes are put. The aim is to avoid any hydraulic connection between the wastes and the surrounding environment, particularly groundwater. Basically, a landfill is a bathtub in the ground; a double-lined landfill is one bathtub inside another. Bathtubs leak two ways: out the bottom or over the top.
There are five critical elements in a secure landfill: a bottom liner, a leachate collection system, a cover, Methane collection system, and the natural hydrogeological setting. The natural setting can be selected to minimize the possibility of wastes escaping to groundwater beneath a landfill. The three other elements must be engineered. Each of these elements is critical to success.
Bottom liner system - separates trash and subsequent leachate from groundwater Cells (old and new) - where the trash is stored within the landfill Storm water drainage system - collects rain water that falls on the landfill Leachate collection system - collects water that has percolated through the landfill itself and contains contaminating substances (leachate) Methane collection system - collects methane gas that is formed during the breakdown of trash Covering or cap - seals off the top of the landfill
You want the geology to do two contradictory things for you. To prevent the wastes from escaping, you want rocks as tight (waterproof) as possible. Yet if leakage occurs, you want the geology to be as simple as possible so you can easily predict where the wastes will go. Then you can put down wells and capture the escaped wastes by pumping. Fractured bedrock is highly undesirable beneath a landfill because the wastes cannot be located if they escape. Mines and quarries should be avoided because they frequently contact the groundwater.
Glad you took the time to come to this unique place, that now it became a new man-made geological formation in the middle of the city as many of you know these are the only kind of mountains that we will ever have in South Florida.
Take your time to enjoy nature and remember to respect all the park’s rules at all times. I will recommend coming here at sunset as you will be greatly reward it with an amazing view.
Park is open from 5 days a week (Tuesdays and Wednesdays is closed) and there is a $1.50 on weekends only.
To get credit for this Earth Cache you will need to email me the following answers to these questions:
1.- In what year does the landfill became a park?
2.-What is a landfill?
3.- What are the five critical elements in a secure landfill?
To proof you were at this amazing park please answer these 3 questions:
4.- What are you standing on at the posted GZ?
5.- Tell me what Nature-made objet do you see when you are facing North while standing on the GZ?
6.- What is the color of the man-made structure you see while facing West from the GZ?.
