Centennial Park Facelift Means Fixing Lake Watauga Eyesore

Lake Watauga is an artificial pond named after a region in Western North Carolina where Nashville’s early settlers came from. Credit: Blake Farmer/WPLN

A $6 million facelift to Nashville’s Centennial Park announced this week will mean cleaning up a historic pond that is currently full of trash and algae.

“We were just talking about how the ducks don’t even want to get in,” says Nashville new-comer Laura White as she pushes a stroller around “Lake Watauga.”

There is a noticeable smell eminating from the water as people exercise on their lunch break.

“I come here pretty often and take a walk,” says Ben Sang. “I want to see some more clean water, you know.”

The restoration for Nashville’s most visited park and home to a replica of the Greek Parthenon extends beyond fixing the pond. The two-year project will also tap into a fresh water spring that runs beneath the West End park.

Metro Water Services is funding most of the work, with help from the Parks Department and a million dollars that was raised privately.