2015-White Ranch Flood Restoration

Start Date-End Date: 06/20/2015-06/20/2015 Land Manager Office: Jefferson County Open Space Land Manager Contact: Scott Waters Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Summary: Help restore a flood-damaged trail in the tranquil meadows of White Ranch Park, near Golden. Description: ABOUT THE STEWARDSHIP SITE Just northwest of Golden, White Ranch Park is home to 20 miles of multi-use trails. Park visitors enjoy panoramic views of some of the state's best vistas of the eastern plains, as well as the surrounding Rocky Mountains to the west. The park also boasts abundant wildlife and stunning rock formations, and is decorated with spring and early summer wildflowers! ABOUT THE VOLUNTEER WORK The September 2013 floods severely impacted White Ranch Park, eroding and washing out many of the park's most popular trails. Volunteers will return to White Ranch Park to take part in critical flood restoration efforts by helping to reconstruct sections of trail as well as perform trail maintenance on trails that were washed out during the flooding. A free light breakfast and lunch will be provided. OTHER WAYS TO HELP It's not all sweat and toil! There are lots of ways you can participate on project days, including as an assistant crew chef. Assistant crew chefs have a fun, vital, and very appreciated role on the project team - keeping volunteers happy and well-fed! Please email Steve Wall for more information. PARTNERS Jefferson County Open Space Latitude/Longitude: 39.830409, -105.277998 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Moderate High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 100 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 61 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 7 Total Volunteer Days: 66 Total Unique Volunteers: 68 Total Volunteer Hours: 528 Staff Hours: 39 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: On June 20 at White Ranch Park in Golden, 67 volunteers plus the help of a trail dozer constructed 1800 feet of brand new trail to reroute the Rawhide Trail from an unsustainable fall line route to a much more sustainable and aesthetically pleasing route with several climbing turns and a small creek crossing. Three employees from Jeffesrson county helped with technical details and volunteer outreach. We had a special morning chat with Jon Adelman of the board of directors and Ben Papadopoulos from our Cairn Program spoke about Cairn as well as led his first crew. Successes and Challenges: The project was quite successful in that we finished more than the county trail supervisor was hoping for and managed to stay on schedule. The only serious challenge of the day was the heat, which at times was a problem for some participants. Through close supervision and an eye towards hydration everyone made it home safe. Lessons Learned: Due to a last minute group cancellation our tool list was off, we corrected but its worthwhile making sure the tool list goes out once numbers have been finalized. Special Notes: Stewardship Education: During the introduction we discussed the need for the reroute as the previous route was falline and accumulated water making it a very unsustainable trail that gullied out. Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: