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Trail work could resume
Douglas County has two applications filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that parks officials hope will allow resumption of construction on recreational trail system along Cherry Creek.
By By:Sean Hadden
Douglas County has two applications filed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that parks officials hope will allow resumption of construction on recreational trail system along Cherry Creek.
If all the pieces fall into place, the county might be able to begin building a new section of the trail by spring 2004, said Ron Benson, director of the county's parks and trails division of the public works department.
Trail construction was on schedule until the Preble's meadow jumping mouse was listed as a threatened species several years ago, Benson said.
At that time, construction had to be halted by order of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect mouse habitat, which occurs in the riparian areas close to Cherry Creek, he said.
A section of the trail just west of the intersection of Colorado 83 and 86 was completed before the mice made the threatened species list, but is now closed because there is no access to it and the trial doesn't yet connect to any other section of trail, Benson said.
There is approximately a 2-mile gap between that section of trail and Castle Oaks Drive, on the trail's southern limit, he said.
The county plans to make the grange open space property the site of a new trail access, Benson said. The grange property is in the northern part of Franktown, west of Colorado 83.
One of the applications with the corps is to build a bridge over Cherry Creek to connect the trail head to a future section of the trail, west of the creek, Benson said.
The other application asks the corps' permission to continue the trail south, to connect with the existing 1-mile section west of Franktown.
For the corps to allow the remainder of the trail's construction, the county might have to create additional mouse habitat.
It is too soon to know what the cost of such habitat construction would be.
Benson said bridge and trail head designs are being drawn up now and if approved, construction could begin in spring 2004.
Once the trail is completed along the north side of Colorado 86, the parks and trails division will begin plans to connect the trail with a section of existing trail in Castlewood Canyon, Benson said.
When that day comes, the trail will run from the Douglas and Arapahoe county line to Castlewood Canyon.
And when planned sections are completed in Arapahoe County, the trail will be continuous from the canyon to Cherry Creek Reservoir. From the reservoir, a trail can be picked up to downtown Denver.
If all the pieces fall into place, the county might be able to begin building a new section of the trail by spring 2004, said Ron Benson, director of the county's parks and trails division of the public works department.
Trail construction was on schedule until the Preble's meadow jumping mouse was listed as a threatened species several years ago, Benson said.
At that time, construction had to be halted by order of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect mouse habitat, which occurs in the riparian areas close to Cherry Creek, he said.
A section of the trail just west of the intersection of Colorado 83 and 86 was completed before the mice made the threatened species list, but is now closed because there is no access to it and the trial doesn't yet connect to any other section of trail, Benson said.
There is approximately a 2-mile gap between that section of trail and Castle Oaks Drive, on the trail's southern limit, he said.
The county plans to make the grange open space property the site of a new trail access, Benson said. The grange property is in the northern part of Franktown, west of Colorado 83.
One of the applications with the corps is to build a bridge over Cherry Creek to connect the trail head to a future section of the trail, west of the creek, Benson said.
The other application asks the corps' permission to continue the trail south, to connect with the existing 1-mile section west of Franktown.
For the corps to allow the remainder of the trail's construction, the county might have to create additional mouse habitat.
It is too soon to know what the cost of such habitat construction would be.
Benson said bridge and trail head designs are being drawn up now and if approved, construction could begin in spring 2004.
Once the trail is completed along the north side of Colorado 86, the parks and trails division will begin plans to connect the trail with a section of existing trail in Castlewood Canyon, Benson said.
When that day comes, the trail will run from the Douglas and Arapahoe county line to Castlewood Canyon.
And when planned sections are completed in Arapahoe County, the trail will be continuous from the canyon to Cherry Creek Reservoir. From the reservoir, a trail can be picked up to downtown Denver.
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