Hidden in Central El Paso is a gem of a skate park complete with stairs, ramped pillars, a bowl to drop in on and one of the most unique views in Central. For a long time, this hidden gem was simply known as ‘the ditch’ and most people didn’t think much of it. Whether you call it a ditch, the Green Bowl, or its actual name, The Van Buren Dam — you have one association to thank for turning it from a rough drain to a dual purpose skatepark. Thanks to the El Paso Skatepark Association, The Green Bowl and several other dangerous drainage ditches in El Paso have been renovated with help from the city to become dual purpose community spots. Not just skateparks that give locals an outlet for connection and practice, but also vital infrastructure that serves the city during heavy rainfall.
This is the kind of creative design that you see in much bigger cities so its crazy to me that we don’t give more recognition to cool spots like The Van Buren Dam. The EPSA worked to get multiple drainage ditches renovated into dual purpose community skate spots and some have unfortunately been neglected. To combat this, The Borderland Real Property Network and The Sun City Pickers are teaming up to clean the Green Bowl!