A Brief Introduction of Niaosong Wetland Park

	Situated at the right of Kaohsiung Cheng Ching Lake gate, the Niaosong Wetland Park occupies only three hectares. However, it is a typical small-size wetland. In 1997, after the enthusiastic one-year promotion from the Kaohsiung Wild Bird Society, Wetlands Taiwan, and experts and scholars, Kaohsiung County Government promised to energectically plan and reorganize it. Finally, the Park was put into formal use on September 24th, 2000. It is the first park featuring wetlands. Located in the suburbs of Kaohsiung, as well as being next to the Cheng Ching Lake, it is transportably approachable, which makes it one of the best recreational places to relax and appreciate wetland ecology. Moreover, it also plays an important role in the promotion of wetland education.
A man-made wetland, Niaosong Wetland Park was originally a settling depressions for the use of water purification and drainage monitored by the Water Plant. Periodically, the sedimentary layer was dug out and carried away, keeping it a sandy plot pond. Owing to the year-round water pooling, it has always had adequate water, gradually becoming a wetland over the years. With the natural succession and multiplication of aquatic and terrestrial plants, insects and birds came to gather in this tiny little place, making it rich in biofacies. After it was planned and reorganized as a wetland park, there has been an actual change in natural biofacies. However, with a stable supply of water source, under the natural succession, the biological style of the Park will come back and show itself to the public. Furthermore, since Niaosong Wetland Park is no more the settling basin of the Water Plant, there is no need to dig out and carry away the settling sand layers to the extent of affecting the original biofacies.
	At the present, the Park’s water source comes from the catchment area of the Grand Hotel, Kaohsiung. Processed drainage water, it is directed into the Park’s little settling basin, then into the small pond (the 1st observation pond) and the big pond (the 2nd observation pond) after passing through the culvert pipe. The water level is maintained at a level of 1.1 meters. In the case of large water displacement or heavy rain, the overflow will first gather at the aft end of the big pond close to Chung Kung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, and then be released to the gutters of Dapi Road through the spillway. But if the Grand Hotel is short of displacement capacity, there are two deep wells to be used to maintain the necessary water level of the Park by pumping up supplementary water.
Also, for the sake of teaching, a small-size instruction pond was hewed out between the big pond and Dapi Road to grow a variety of aquatic plants. Beside the pond’s trail, there is an observation wall to appreciate the aquatic plants. Its water comes from the pumped water from the deep wells. If the water is too high, the extra water will be released into the big pond through the spillway of the other end to maintain a stable level. Officially opened to the public on September 24th, 2000, Niaosong Wetland Park are equipped with around-the-pond wooden trails for visitors to walk on them. The wooden trails are 30-50 centimeters above the ground level to lessen the interference with the ground vegetation and insects, making them grow and move around freely. There is a little observation trail, paved with gravel, around the small pond (the 1st observation pond) and the instruction pond. In addition to the need of observation, ordinary visitors are advised to take the wooden trail as much as possible.

 

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　Source of Information: Adapted from Ecoillustrations and Interview Draft of Niaosong Wetland Park