Will Tuolumne River Regional Park, between Modesto and Ceres, ever be finished?
The Tuolumne River Regional Park, or TRRP to supporters, was first envisioned by river lovers over 50 years ago. The basic idea is to clean up a seven-mile stretch of the Tuolumne as it passes through Modesto, repair damage to habitat and make it accessible in its natural form to all of us.
While some progress has been made over five decades, sadly, this park is still very much a work in progress. It’s always had significant community support. The Bee in 2005 called TRRP “one of the best ideas we’ve ever seen, and a variety of non-governmental organizations, including the Tuolumne River Trust, citizens groups, 9-2-99 and the Citizen’s Advisory Committee to TRRP, have helped.
What’s been lacking is a sustained commitment from our local politicians to complete the project.
We’ve definitely come a long way from the unlined dumps, unregulated auto dismantlers, animal rendering plants and wastewater plants that routinely dumped all kinds of pollution into the river and air. Those problems have mostly been cleaned up.
Twenty years ago our local leaders created a plan for the park by creating a joint governmental organization among the cities of Modesto and Ceres and Stanislaus County. This joint powers authority planned to “create a park where the recreational experience is oriented toward and compatible with the Tuolumne River, its water, and natural resources.”
The master plan contained some very specific goals including expanding the park and creating a 17-mile trail and bridge system, creating a gateway parcel with adequate parking and park facilities, and building a trail to connect Dry Creek and Legion parks alongside the Gallo Glass plant. The park would also serve to preserve and enhance existing wildlife and aquatic habitats and natural areas, including wetlands and riparian corridors.
So what’s been done by government authorities to fulfill these promises in the last 20 years? If you compare the master plan and reality on the ground today, you’re bound to be disappointed.
Much more to do
We have seven miles of trails, some lighting and lots of land restoration and clean up — largely by volunteers. The Gateway parcel, which was envisioned as an easy way to park your car and access the park, is still unfinished and doesn’t provide any access. The path connecting Dry Creek and Legion parks is still in the planning stages despite legislative approval several years ago of a land swap with Gallo needed for the trail.
Another access point for kayaks and canoes, the Neece Drive boat ramp, is ready to be built and has $890,000 set aside. Construction has been delayed two years due to inaction by the Army Corps of Engineers.
Development of this park has lost its footing, and so has daily maintenance. Chris Guptill and a raft of volunteers stepped into the void and run regular cleanups. Their organization, 9-2-99, focuses on the river between the Ninth Street bridge and Highway 99. They are challenged by our prolific unhoused persons population and a limited city parks budget, and assisted by Modesto park rangers and city fire and maintenance crews.
Fortunately, things may be looking up. We have several new members of the Modesto City Council and county Board of Supervisors, and a new funding source: Measure H.
Hopefully these new office holders can reignite the joint powers authority — which hasn’t met since June and canceled three meetings this year — and grab some of those Measure H dollars to get our park back on track. If you want to make a difference, join 9-2-99 for a cleanup and ask your elected officials to find the funding and will to complete the park.