Bird Lake Fountain - Philadelphia, PA
N 39° 58.224 W 075° 11.744
18S E 483285 N 4424490
This fountain is central to everything in the Philadelphia Zoological garden. Newly renovated, the lake and fountain are the showpiece of the zoo, and better than ever.
Waymark Code: WMDD4J
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 12/27/2011
Views: 6
It seems like everywhere you go, you are at this fountain. I saw people in swan paddle boats during our September 18, 2011 visit. There is a convoluted walkway, looking like a snail's shell from above, that least to the fountain, extending out into the man-made lake. It is all very nice. I did manage to find some technical and FYI information on the fountain. (source cited below)
Approximately 4,125 square feet of Redi-Rock Freestanding, Garden and Column blocks were used to line the fountain, ponds and pan of Bird Lake. Most of the walls are 3 1/2 to 6 feet tall. These walls feature Limestone texture on both sides and were all topped with cap blocks. A filtration system was built in the center of Bird Lake - accessible by a brick paver path that leads to the fountain area. Water from the lake is pumped to the fountain lined with blocks where the filtration process begins.
One of the biggest projects the zoo has undertaken to reduce its water use by half was the renovation of it’s biggest water guzzling attraction _ Bird Lake. This man-made lake is a popular attraction where visitors can take swan-shaped boats for a spin. “We calculated that Bird Lake used more water on a daily basis than any other system, as we had to run fresh water in to minimize algae growth and maintain water quality. So that became a primary target in reducing our water use even further,” said Waldron. The goal of the Bird Pond renovation project was to develop an “innovative man-made Wetland around Bird Lake that would maintain good water quality while greatly reducing the need for water use," explained Nina Bisbee, Vice President of Facilities at the Philadelphia Zoo.