2023 has been an epic year for moisture. Between the snowpack and the spring rains, the flooding has hit the Paonia River Park and K-8 School Loop trails hard. WSCC and The Nature Connection are partnering to rebuild the trails, and we need your help.
First a little background.
The Paonia River Park and K-8 Trails encompass 27 total acres and include 1.3 miles of soft surface accessible trails, Paonia’s only public boat launch, picnic areas, a community labyrinth, educational signage, and community art. Each year, thousands of people use the park and trails. Our children use the trails while walking to school and as an outdoor classroom, including for our annual Conservation Days.
The park and trails are the culmination of a multi-decade community vision, successful collaboration between multiple non-profit and municipal stakeholders, and significant community investment of over $1 million in grants and donations since 2012. WSCC owns and maintains the Paonia River Park.
And then the floods came.
The North Fork River has created a new channel, undercutting over 100’ of river bank, which led to a large section of trail being completely washed away. Hundreds of feet of trail were underwater for weeks and need to be rebuilt. We are still assessing the ongoing damage.
And the community can help us rebuild.
The rebuilding of these trails will take a community effort and we need your support!
The total restoration and rebuilding of the trails is estimated to cost almost $62,400. We already have almost $15,000 secured and are working with businesses and community entities to help us fund the restoration. However, we need your help!
Click this link to learn more! Whether it’s volunteering your time, donating money, or sharing your skid steer, it all helps!
Thank you for helping us rebuild. We can’t do this without you!