The city of Spokane has bought, for $369,000, 5.5 acres of mostly vacant land, at 4250 E. 30th, on Spokane's South Hill to add to what's called a wetland bank there.

The city-owned property there, which is bounded roughly by 30th and 32nd avenues and Cuba and Havana streets, is adjacent to land the city already owned, which also includes a few parcels on the north side of 30th. With the new purchase, the city now has about 9.5 acres there that will be mostly preserved as a public natural park with vegetation and seasonal ponds.

City spokeswoman Marlene Feist says such a property is what's known as a wetland bank and is part of the city's storm-water management system. It also provides a natural area for the public to access within the city limits, Feist says.

Lars Hendron, the city's principal wastewater management engineer, says the city uses a wetland bank to compensate for the effects of projects that might harm wetlands elsewhere. He says that on the Moran Prairie, there are a number of sites where groundwater issues occur occasionally, due to what's called perched water tables, where the groundwater can be as close as one foot below the surface.

Although the owner of the property, longtime Spokane resident Richard Allison, recently died, the sale was completed in September. A house and outbuildings on the property will be demolished, and the land will be returned to a natural state, says Kay Bachman, the city's real estate director.