Barker Road water trail access to receive more improvements

The Washington Department of Ecology received state funding to install a protective cap on contaminated sediment that is adjacent to the Barker Road water trail access this summer. To leverage this effort, the Forum has submitted a grant request to REI to restore the riparian area with native plants, provide a gentler slope to the water, and provide a kiosk and signage. When complete, an additional 120 feet of shoreline would be come easily and safely accessible to the public.

Said Andy Dunau, the Forum’s Executive Director, “Building the water trail is all about partnerships and leveraging resources. At Barker Road Ecology has been great to work with, Spokane Conservation District will be donating the plants, Riverside State Park is helping with signage, and the Canoe and Kayak Club and other organizations will continue to support with volunteers and other needs.”

The Forum’s membership drive provides funding to bring these partnerships and proposals to fruition. Please contribute.

If the grant comes through, the restoration work will occur mostly in October. This work will also tie in to the Forum partnering with the Northwest Whitewater Association and other service groups to conduct the Upriver Scrub cleanup.

Ecology is providing sediment caps at Barker Road, Islands Lagoon, Myrtle Point and Flora Road to cover heavy metals such as lead, zinc, and cadmium that washed down from historic mining practices in the Coeur d’Alene basin. The work is expected to begin in August when river levels are low and completed by fall.