A Treasure in my Back Yard: Grand Opening Celebration for the Tuolumne River Parkway, May 21st

It's been a long time coming, but it looks like the Tuolumne River Parkway trail in Waterford will be completed soon. There will be a Grand Opening celebration on May 21 at 10 AM at the parking area at the end of S. Reinway Avenue. I hate to say it, but I can't be there, but I hope that many of you will stop by, or give the trail a look soon. I've been writing about the trail for many months now, and I'm looking forward to the completion of the project. The Tuolumne River has been an unrecognized treasure in our little town, a beautiful and serene portion of river right at the boundary between the Sierra Nevada foothills and the Great Valley. There are stretches of rare riparian habitat and some grand old Valley Oak trees. It's been a rich bird watching area for me over the last few months, and there are lots of other recreational opportunities.

There will be interpretive signs set up along the trail (you may even find a shot or two by Geotripper in one of them; I don't know if they used any of mine yet). Hikers will be able to learn about the native animals and plants seen along the trail, the river habitat, and also information about how wastewater is dealt with (the trail detours around and above the city's treatment plant). The trail will be a great educational resource within walking distance of the schools in town.

I've been truly enjoying my exercise jaunts along the river over these last few months. I've seen somewhere around forty species of birds, I've watched the change of seasons, I've seen some other interesting animals, like the fox in the picture below.

The trail is about two miles long, with a park and exercise loop at the west end (and a lung-busting stairwell that climbs around for or five stories from the river). The other end also has a nice park that is being expanded. For a trail on a flat valley floor, it has some steep ups and downs to provide some aerobic conditioning. It climbs to avoid the wastewater facility, but also climbs around some elderberry habitat that provides a home for an endangered beetle.

It's a bit of a surprise, being a "valley" trail, but the upper parts of the route offers some nice far-ranging views on clear days. The bluffs are high enough to offer a peek at the Sierra Nevada to the east and the Coast Ranges to the west.

I wish I could be at the Grand Opening (I'll be in another state), but I'm glad we'll have this beautiful resource in our town. I've been guilty at times of calling our valley boring when compared to spectacular places like Yosemite or the coast, but over the years I've found that some treasures might not be as shiny, but they are just as valuable. And it's only a fifteen minute walk from my front door.

A Small City Recognizes Her Greatest Treasure: Tuolumne River Parkway Trail Nears Completion (update)

I've been providing occasional updates on the progress of the Tuolumne River Parkway trail that is being constructed in Waterford, California, where the river leaves the Sierra Nevada behind and flows into the Great Valley. It's been a source of some community pride that the city has finally come to realize the value of the river. It used to be a dumping ground. Now it will become a learning resource for our children, since the trail will be within walking distance of three different schools.

Progress seems to alternate between "none" and "very rapid". There were several weeks where nothing much would seem to happen, and then practically overnight a section of trail will suddenly sprout fully completed slope barriers. The barren field at the top of the bluff was ignored for weeks, and seven days ago, a paved parking lot appeared. Today was one of the rapid days. A stairwell will be necessary to provide access from the high bluffs on the downstream end of the trail. The foundations for the stairwell have been in place for a month or more, but nothing more seemed to be happening.

As I walked down the trail, I could see a huge crane in the distance (and it wasn't of the Sandhill variety; sorry for the bird humor). Workers were lowering a section of the stairwell into place. More than half of the stair sections had already been put into position.

I watched for a few minutes as the foreman directed the crane operator by walkie-talkie. It was interesting because the operator was completely out of sight above the bluff, but he or she had such a delicate touch that the stairwell section was lifted or dropped six inches at a time to get it into the right spot, based only on the verbal directions from the foreman below.

My walk today once again illustrated the value of this stretch of the Tuolumne River. The thin artery of water and the related riparian habitat is a sanctuary for dozens of bird species and other creatures. I've seen all manner of small rodents and reptiles, and the occasional Gray Fox. On this particular day I was able to capture some photos of birds that I rarely see in urban settings.

I've seen them elsewhere (at the San Joaquin NWR, Pecos National Historical Park, and my west campus), but this was the first time I've seen a Say's Phoebe along the river trail.

Acorn Woodpeckers (above) are common along the river, and I always enjoy watching their antics. They look like clowns, and sometimes act like them. They are endemic to the southwest, Mexico and Central America.

I've yet to see a Black-chinned Hummingbird in my yard or the local pasture, but I've seen them numerous times along the river, both in August and today, in mid-November.

It's not Yosemite National Park, and it's not one of the Serengeti-like bird refuges with tens of thousands of migratory geese and cranes, but it is a small bit of river that preserves a natural environment with species numbering in the hundreds. I see something new almost every time I walk this trail that is almost literally in my own backyard. It's our city's most precious resource. I look forward to the completion of the trail in a few weeks.

The New Tuolumne River Trail is Coming!

In one sense, this is a local story, about a trail that I can walk to from my house. On the other, it is of interest to anyone who travels into the region, on their way to Yosemite and other more famous tourist destinations in the central Sierra Nevada. It's about the Tuolumne River.

The Tuolumne River is a treasure. It is longer than the Merced River, it once had the largest glaciers in the entire range, and comparatively speaking, despite the many reservoirs on its various forks, it has some of the wildest stretches of river in the Sierra. It has the grandest canyon that hardly anyone knows about (seriously, the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne is as deep as the Grand Canyon in Arizona) as well as the most scenic and popular area of Yosemite National Park outside of the valley (Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass).  Downstream, it has some of the most important riparian habitats in the Great Valley.

I live right at the spot where the river flows from the Sierra Nevada foothills into the Great Valley. The two-mile long stretch of river that flows through my small town has languished for years, with a small neglected river park, and trails of use that led to piles of garbage and transient camps. The city government has been interested in changing that situation and now it's happening. With funds from a state proposition (84), they are constructing a river trail from one end of town to the other, a path that will include accessible trails, rejuvenated and protected riparian habitat, interpretative signs, and recreational opportunities like river access for kayaks and small boats.

One could say that this is development that will spoil the natural aspect of the river, but in fact the river hasn't been natural for some time, given the invasive species and animals that have moved in along with the trash. As the park is completed, the invasive species will be removed and replaced by native species. Ultimately the river will be a healthier environment, and a lot closer to a natural condition than before. And people will be able to learn about the natural habitat during their explorations and recreational activities. It's a good trade-off.

I went down there yesterday to have a look around, and the trails were all plowed and staked out. Employees told me they expect to finish around the beginning of October. I couldn't be happier.

I've been documenting the bird species along the river for the past year at my other blog, Geotripper's California Birds. Yesterday I got to add a mammal to the list. As I was wandering about on the downstream end of the trail, a Gray Fox came bounding down the cliff with lunch in its mouth. I only had a few seconds to get a couple of shots before it disappeared into the river willows.

There are dozens of species of birds living or migrating through, depending on the time of year. Yesterday I caught some shots of a Black-chinned Hummingbird for only the second time.

I almost always come across a group (a "discernment") of Acorn Woodpeckers. There are some gigantic ancient Valley Oak trees along this stretch of the river.

The Western Kingbird (below) is present during spring and summer, but migrates south to Mexico and Costa Rica during the winter.

The Western Bluebird is present for much of the year.

The Tree Swallow migrates into the area for the spring and summer as well. It winters farther south, in the southern tier states, and in Central America as far as Panama.

The western end of the park is on an undeveloped bluff that offers a marvelous view of the river with the Sierra Nevada beyond. A stairwell will provide access to a parking area on the bluff. Geologically, the upper part of the trail includes some of the Sierra Nevada's Miocene volcanic rocks, including the Valley Springs formation and the Mehrten. Downstream, the bluffs are composed of glacial outwash deposits, probably including the Turlock Lake and Riverbank formations.

I'm looking forward to this wonderful addition to our community, and I hope you'll stop and check it out when you are on your way to more famous places. The river has a lot to teach you.

If you want to learn more details, the city has posted their plans and environment studies here: http://www.cityofwaterford.org/departments/parks-and-recreation/trails/river-trail/