Some of the ponds are maintained as an emergency facility to backup the belt-press system. Nowadays, the water level of most of the drying beds fluctuates at the whim of nature but is enough to accommodate the migrant shorebirds, herons and wildfowl who prefer shallow water levels. In addition to the ponds, Village Creek provides some swampy woodland and damp meadows just outside the levees that surround the ponds. There is also a nearby landfill that attracts large numbers of seagulls to the area in the winter. The 240-acre Village Creek Drying Bed site serves as fertile feeding grounds for the numerous heron and egret rookeries along the nearby Trinity River bottom lands.
Village Creek is located on the eastern edge of the city, surrounded by Arlington.
The entrance road is on the north side of Green Oaks Boulevard, immediately west of River Legacy Park. Village Creek is a safe haven for thousands of migratory birds and a great bird-watching site. Bird watchers come from all over the region to watch the birds there. The program features self-paced reading and is heavily supported by free programs. Special events and guests this year relate to entertainment and include magic shows, plays, dancing and puppeteering.