Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Trails topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Volunteers, city staff and engineers warn of streambank erosion along Rowntree Branch Trail; Platteville Community Arboretum to seek RTP maintenance grant
Summary
Volunteers with the Platteville Community Arboretum and city engineers described an urgent streambank-stabilization need near Pole 136 on the Rowntree Branch Trail and said PCA will apply for an 80/20 RTP maintenance grant in May; volunteers requested city assistance to address immediate erosion risks.
Speakers representing the Platteville Community Arboretum (PCA) told the council on Oct. 22 that a section of the Rowntree Branch Trail near Pole 136 shows active streambank erosion and could threaten the trail if not addressed.
A PCA representative introduced volunteer leader Clay Schafer, who said PCA crews and other volunteers maintain the trail and that the group plans to apply for a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources RTP maintenance grant next May. The grant is described by PCA as an 80/20 matching grant that can fund annual trail repair and stabilization; PCA said volunteer hours and in-kind work qualify toward the local match.
"We should be able to request a pretty darn good amount from this grant," the PCA representative said, noting the group logs more than 1,000 volunteer hours annually and estimated about 400 daily trail users. Schafer described the erosion near Pole 1 (the transcript identifies the pole numbering system and the area near the university and the Walmart/railroad bridge) and said the deterioration "is getting worse" and could force closure of that trail section if heavy precipitation or snow causes further collapse.
Dan Dressen of Delta 3 Engineering said the city included three streambank locations for work this fall (East Mineral Street, Valley Road and the pedestrian bridge near Country Kitchen) in a previous grant application and that the erosion near Pole 1 had been included in an earlier application submitted in May. City staff said the work might not occur this fall because bids and construction scheduling push projects into 2025, but the city's 2025 capital improvement plan anticipates funding for streambank stabilization, with possible aid from awarded grants.
Speakers asked the council to support prompt action where possible and to consider using RTP grant funds if awarded to address the Pole 1 erosion as soon as feasible to avoid losing a trail section.
Why it matters: The Rowntree Branch Trail is used by hundreds daily and contributes to local recreation and business traffic near the trail endpoints. PCA described imminent risk that could require closure and urged the city to coordinate grant-funded work and targeted repairs as soon as possible.
