The north bank of Buffalo Bayou near Sawyer Street is separated, and somewhat isolated, from the Sixth Ward neighborhood by Memorial Drive. As a result, this part of Buffalo Bayou Park is a pleasant green space that receives much less use than the companion park land on the south bank of the bayou. The hiking trail coming from the Waugh Drive area passes under Memorial Drive and emerges in the grassy meadow where the unique art structure entitled "Passage Inacheve" stands. Heading east from the "Passage Inacheve," the hiking trail crosses a rustic footbridge over a small stream that has been named in honor of Charles Tapley.

In the late 1970's, Charles Tapley, a local landscape architect, designed an innovative site along the north bank of Buffalo Bayou west of Sabine Street that included a tributary with riparian plantings and seating areas with attractive granite steps. However, after a quarter of a century of neglect, Tapley's initiative was in dire need of revitalization. In 2004, the Buffalo Bayou Partnership sponsored a project to restore Tapley's site to its original vision.

Tapley's design included several resting places along the hiking trail and on the upper slopes of the bayou's bank that entice the visitor to sit and view the beauty of the bayou. The simple, yet elegant, granite benches are placed within view of the bayou and the tributary. High on the slope near the new Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark is the largest of Tapley's seating stones. The triangular granite benches form a shady circle amidst the small cluster of trees. This set of granite stones is the largest seating area of the tributary site. Other stones that provide rest stops for an individual or couple are located at places near the creek and along the trail.

Within the tributary, Tapley created rapids and cascades to tumble the water as it flows from the wetland pond to its confluence with the bayou. Directly below the bridge over the stream, a set of granite blocks creates a small rapid where the water bubbles over the blocks and channels while flowing under the canopy of cypress tress. A few yards later, the stream flows over the circular cascade of large granite stones that open into a block-lined pool. Along the course of the tributary, there are individual granite seating stones in the form of square blocks.


The goal of the restoration of the Tapley Tributary was to demonstrate the benefits of wetland habitat within the urban environment. Undesirable and invasive plants were removed from the drainage, and wetland plants, such as cattails and lilies, that improve water quality were planted in the tributary. Since the Tapley Tributary is the storm water outfall from White Street and the Sixth Ward neighborhood, the wetland plants which have root structures that can remove minerals, heavy metals and toxins from the water, help to improve the urban runoff that flows into Buffalo Bayou. River birch and cypress trees were added to the 150 yard long stream to help stabilize the banks and provide an attractive bayou woodland. The enhancements and management practices used in the restoration of Tapley Tributary will be applied to other sites along the bayou.







And in case you think Charles Tapley’s resume is limited to Buffalo Bayou, you’d be wrong.  Tapley actually opened his architectural practice in 1960 and has designed parks, churches and other buildings around the country.  In addition to his master plan for Buffalo Bayou which called for natural wide banks instead of a “concrete slip and slide”draining to the Houston Ship Channel, Tapley also designed Tranquility Park in downtown Houston. Tapley also helped found the Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum at Rice University and is currently on the architecture faculty at the University of Houston.

Take time to stop in the Tapley Tributary park space. The natural beauty and peacefulness of this bayou tributary with the backdrop of our great city is a rare treat and a grand tribute to Charles Tapley's vision.