Thursday morning the city broke ground on a new environmentally friendly park along the bank of the Santa Clara River. Discovery Park will allow residents to enjoy the natural surroundings up close with out disturbing the environment.

This “passive” river park is a first for the city, and is designed to reverse ecological damages while encouraging barrier-free interaction with the natural environment.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Laurene Weste said of the city’s new initiative,  “That is the difference with this community, how it works. How it does what it does and what it has, and why other people are so surprised by what we do. Because we look into the future.”

Discovery Park’s design aims to balance new recreational options for residents with increased environmental protection.

The park will offer opportunities for education, wildlife observation and passive recreation such as yoga, landscape painting, photography and more, with minimal impact on the surrounding environment.

Most of the park’s 25 acres will be kept natural and will be protected from future development and will become part of the city’s trail system.

The park will also put many environmentally-friendly features to use, including drought-resistant plants, a computerized irrigation management system, native and native-adapted landscaping, low volume irrigation and permeable surfaces to promote water retention and decrease water consumption.

Discovery Park’s construction is funded through the $1.8 million Los Angeles Regional Park and Open Space District and its Proposition A grant program, which encourages projects with sustainable landscaping and irrigation practices. The park is located of Canyon View Drive in Canyon Country and is expected to be completed in three months.

For more information on the park visit www.santa-clarita.com.