River trail nears completion as city outlines soft‑techniques for bank stabilization
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Summary
Crews are finishing clearing and gravel work for the River Trail with two prefabricated pedestrian bridges and an estimated 30–45 days to immediate completion; city staff said they prefer “soft” stabilization techniques and are coordinating with the county, Fish & Wildlife and the tribe on Meadowbrook revetment options and a Sandy Cove project bid.
Jeff Hamlin, director of parks and public works, told the committee crews are clearing, grading and placing gravel along the River Trail corridor on SR‑202 and that two prefabricated pedestrian bridges are slated for footings and installation. He estimated roughly 30–45 days to complete the current phase of work.
Hamlin said crews have mowed blackberry and opened limited view corridors; crews will use targeted spraying to remove invasive blackberries and follow up with native plantings to reduce long‑term maintenance. He stressed the city will avoid cutting in tribally sensitive areas unless authorized by the tribe.
On riverbank stabilization, Hamlin described a broader approach that favors soft engineering techniques over hard revetments. “It’s best practice to let rivers migrate where you can,” he said, warning that traditional levees and revetments can cause sediment buildup and shift erosion downstream. Hamlin said the county plans a Meadowbrook revetment upstream of the Meadowbrook Bridge and is coordinating with agencies including Fish and Wildlife and the tribe; the county asked for the city’s input.
Regarding Sandy Cove, Hamlin said temporary erosion control matting installed three years ago has largely held and that the city plans to bid a Sandy Cove stabilization project late January or early February with anticipated summer construction. He cautioned that large flood events could damage temporary measures and noted monitoring and potential permitting and cost estimates would be required before any stabilization project begins.
Next steps: the River Trail work will continue to near‑term completion; the city will submit Sandy Cove plans to bid and coordinate with county and tribal partners on Meadowbrook options.
