Kennewick outlines Pathways & Trails Master Plan with focus on canal service‑roads and ‘Widgeon Way’ branding

Kennewick Parks staff and consultants presented the draft Kennewick Pathways and Trails Master Plan at a Jan. 14 City Council workshop, describing a phased strategy to expand the city’s trail network from about 40 miles today to roughly 63 miles over time and to brand the system as “Widgeon Way.” The plan recommends short‑term, low‑cost “activation” projects—signing, wayfinding, minor gravel improvements and memorandums of agreement (MOUs) with irrigation districts—to open canal service‑roads to legal public use and to increase connectivity with existing trails, parks and community destinations.

“Kennewick is sitting in a position that most other cities would be very, very jealous of,” lead consultant Wendy Wilbur said, noting 40 miles of existing trails and cooperative irrigation districts. Transportation analyst Cameron Bennett described the plan’s priorities, saying activation projects “largely don't require much funding” and that establishing MOUs with the Kennewick Irrigation District and Columbia Irrigation District is the key to unlocking much of the network.

Why it matters: the plan aims to create an interconnected, accessible trail system that supports active transportation, recreation, tourism and grant competitiveness. Consultants said an adopted trail plan is commonly required to leverage federal and state grant funding and that the plan’s Appendix E identifies potential funding sources and partnerships.

Liability, maintenance and partnerships: council members pressed staff on insurance and liability. Council member Jason McShane, who said he works for the Kennewick Irrigation District, explained the district has modeled its agreements on Phoenix‑area examples and noted that irrigation partners require indemnifications and insurance levels. He added that recreational immunity typically applies to cities and counties and not to irrigation districts, so the city’s partnership is important to enable canal trail use. Staff and consultants said detailed MOUs would address fencing, signage, maintenance responsibilities and insurance; some canal reaches may require physical improvements or fencing before being opened to public use.

Project priorities and costs: consultants recommended nine high‑priority projects that generally use existing right‑of‑way and scored segments for constructability, equity and access to destinations such as schools and libraries. Activation steps include pursuing MOUs, establishing a wayfinding/branding program for “Widgeon Way,” pursuing grant funding, installing trail counters and making limited surface and crossing improvements. Consultants noted that more capital‑intensive paving or bridges could follow as funding becomes available and that staff will need to plan for incremental maintenance capacity as the system grows.

Funding and implementation: the presentation said park impact fees and developer agreements can be sources for trail work in growth areas, and Appendix E lists candidate grant programs. Mayor Pro Tem Charlie Torelli praised the funding appendix for mapping likely sources. Staff indicated the plan will return to council for formal adoption at a future meeting and that capital project prioritization will be discussed at an end‑of‑February workshop.

Next steps: consultants recommended the city pursue MOUs with irrigation districts, begin low‑cost activation (signage, hazard fencing, wayfinding), target grant opportunities aligned with priority projects, and return a formal plan resolution to council for adoption. No formal action was taken at the workshop; council discussion centered on implementation details, liability allocations and maintenance responsibilities.