Wood River Land Trust focuses on Bridge to Bridge Project 12/26
December 29, 2016
Thanks to the remarkable support of the community, the Wood River Land Trust was recently able to fulfill a dream and not only purchase 150 acres at Colorado Gulch, but to open it to the public as part of the Hailey Greenway.
Now that the Land Trust is close to completing the funding for the Colorado Gulch acquisition, they are setting their sights on another long-held dream: Restoring the health of the Big Wood River.
Last year, the results of a comprehensive study of the Big Wood, sponsored by the Land Trust, Trout Unlimited and the Bureau of Land Management, clearly showed that the river is not very healthy and it needs our help.
The geomorphic study done by the highly-acclaimed Biota Research team found that more than 50% of the Big Wood River has been altered by people, with the biggest impairments including channel degradation and incision, loss of proper floodplain functioning and sedimentation build up. These impairments have had a negative impact on the Big Wood’s fish populations, the quality of the banks for various wildlife and plant species, and the overall health of the region’s largest aquifer.
But there is good news. The study not only dissected the river’s problems, it also provided hope, as well as an outline for how to restore the Big Wood. The study identified seven priority stretches, including the sections at Colorado Gulch and below the Bullion Bridge. Now that the Land Trust owns Colorado Gulch, they have decided to launch their next big dream: The Bridge to Bridge Project.
The Bridge to Bridge Project is an opportunity to restore nearly two miles of river through the entire Hailey Greenway. This is thrilling for so many reasons. This project will create a sustainable design that can reactivate the floodplain and bring the river back to its natural, healthy state.
A healthy river will not only improve fish populations, but will also offer more places to play, to explore, and to watch wildlife and native plant life thrive. You can help make this vision a reality!
If you would like to help complete the funding for Colorado Gulch or to learn more about the Bridge to Bridge Project, please contact Lisa Huttinger, the Development Manager for the Land Trust, at LHuttinger@woodriverlandtrust.org, or 208.788.3947.
Contact:
Mike McKenna
mmckenna@woodriverlandtrust.org, 208-788-3947
