Duri Ecological Park
Duri Ecological Park (두리생태공원; map) sits at the Ara Waterway’s midpoint. A marshy expanse of green, the park lies at the intersection of the Ara Canal and Gulpo Stream (굴포천; map), which flows north from downtown Incheon.
The park and Ara Canal live in a depression in northern Incheon amidst streams and the Han River, which flows a few kilometers east at a higher elevation than Duri Eco Park.
In the past, heavy rains often swept away the townsfolk and their homes around where the Ara Canal now flows.
So the Ara Waterway’s designers created the canal with two functions in mind:
- A transportation channel for boats.
- And a release valve that could contain and manage flood waters.
Duri Eco Park helps with that mission.
When the sun shines, families and couples stroll raised boardwalks and dirt paths around willows, wildflowers, and ginkgo trees. Park goers recreate in the park’s ball courts and auto-camping site.
But when the skies open, visitors evacuate and flood waters rush into Duri Eco Park.. Like a sponge, the park prevents the water from flowing into nearby neighborhoods.
