A rundown of the April One Riverfront meeting, and an update on the state of Grand Junction’s trails.
Written by: Madeline Nowak, Sustainability Editor
Photos by: Stone Quinn and Madeline Nowak
From Loma to Clifton, a system of trails runs along the Colorado River, open to pedestrians or bikers looking for a scenic, well maintained route. A large part of that is due to One Riverfront, a volunteer organization dedicated to creating and maintaining Grand Valley trails along the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers.
On April 8th, at their monthly meeting, they discussed a number of changes, events and problems that the Riverfront trail system faces in the upcoming months.
Las Colonias
OakStar Bank is coming to Las Colonias, and with it, a change to the Riverfront trail. The current proposed development for the bank would require that a section of the Riverfront trail, near the Las Colonias dog park, be relocated closer to the river. However, the development is still undecided, as OakStar Bank is requesting that they be allowed to sublease a portion of their space to a restaurant or another business that might serve trailer goers better. The Grand Junction City Council is currently in the process of deciding whether or not to allow the bank to sublease.
Should the relocation of the trail become necessary, it would occur soon, meaning right in the middle of spring and summer and some of the best weather to be on the trail for. As such, the City is working with the developer to make sure that the new trail alignment will be open before the old trail is disrupted, ensuring continuity for the trail throughout the process.
Monument Connect Trail
The second phase of the Monument Connect Trail has been in the works for a number of years now, but it will be completed by January of 2025. This deadline is due to the expiration date of one of the grants funding the trail, which has already been given an extension to allow for the current timeframe.
Audubon Trail
A section of the Audubon Trail in the Redlands has been damaged and is currently fenced off. A detour is in place for the section, and the county has a surveyor looking at the easement at that section of the trail to ensure it’s possible to relocate that portion of the trail. Unfortunately, the erosion that caused the damage in the first place cannot be fixed by the city, especially as the city doesn’t own the section of canal that is eroding.
This problem was caused when the property owner next to that section of the trail placed a number of large concrete blocks at the top of an unstable hill next to the trail. The hill collapsed and slid into the river, causing the river to erode a portion of the opposite bank, where the trail was. The ground underneath the trail was eroded, which caused portions of the trail to fall off into the water, and most of the remaining trail to be unstable and unsupported, hanging over the water.
When talk of solutions came up, One Riverfront board member Sarah Brooks proposed a way to bring attention to the damaged section of the trail, and potentially get it fixed.
“Mesa County Regional Transportation Office is doing a Safety Action Plan,” Brooks said, “Get everyone you know to take the survey and go put a point on the map saying this needs to be fixed.”
To help in bringing attention to this damage, or for any other transportation safety concerns you may have, go to mesacountysafetyactionplan.com.
Arnett Sign
Recently, in Clifton, One Riverfront unveiled a new sign marking a portion of the trail where the land was given to the city by the Arnett family. The sign was done in both English and Spanish, which was a first for the One Riverfront trail.
The Arnett property is unique, because it is to be conserved and will always remain agricultural land. That means that the portion of the One Riverfront trail that runs through the property will always have the river on one side and agricultural land on the other.
One Riverfront is also forming a group to improve signage along the whole of the trails.
Bike Rides
For Bike Month, InterMountain Health and Every Pedal Bike are hosting a bike riding event on May 15th from 6pm-8pm at Rocky Mountain Elementary. Kids can come and learn about bike safety and go on a ride with their friends. Riverside Education Center will be providing bikes for those who don’t have one of their own. Registration opens on May 6th, the cost is 6 dollars.
Clifton – Palisade Trail
One of the largest goals of One Riverfront currently is to connect the trail from Clifton to Palisade. As yet, there’s no timeline for completion, or even certainty it can be done.
“I think it’s a little early to give an estimate,” David Varner, current chair of the One Riverfront board, said, “This year we’re doing a feasibility analysis, working with the county.”
One of the largest obstacles to trail completion is the necessity of the trail going through private properties. Not everyone is interested in giving up a portion of their property to have the trail go through their backyard.
Another obstacle is the cost of the trail, both costs for the actual creation of the trail and any costs necessary to acquire the land and rights to build it.
One way to ease both of these problems is to combine existing trails to create a longer trail and connect it to the current Riverfront trail.
Though it is in the early stages so far, connecting Clifton and Palisade to the Riverfront trail is a priority for One Riverfront.
To learn more about One Riverfront and their mission, go to oneriverfront.org.
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