Three years ago, we commenced work on the Blackner’s Bend project.  The route for a non-motorized pathway was roughed out, and a new stream channel was dug in order to create habitat for the juvenile fish of two native species, the Bonneville cutthroat trout and the bluehead sucker.  A dedication ceremony was held on November 11, 2020, when a temporary dam was breached and water flowed into the new channel for the first time.

Since then, the channel has functioned exactly as intended, with a continuous flow over the little riffles and into the pools and backwaters, even with this spring’s extremely low runoff.  Fish began spawning here in May, and a pair of Canada geese has raised their family on the new island that was created between the river and the channel.  Grass and wildflower seeds planted last fall have sprouted in spite of the poor, rocky soil and ongoing drought.  Additional plantings of shrub and tree seedlings and willow cuttings were made this spring, and CPC Neutek, one of TFNU’s Community Partners, planted a 10-foot elm tree for Earth Day.

Spring / Summer 2023

The big story on the Weber River this spring is Utah’s record snowpack, which is leading to the biggest spring runoff we’ve seen since 2011.  It remains to be seen whether the flooding will surpass that of 1983, but already we’re seeing damage on the Weber River Parkway.  There are at least four places on the parkway between Riverdale and South Weber where the river is eroding the bank and threatening to destroy the trail.  At one of these places, Hawthorn Bend, the main trail has already been wiped out completely; there is a usable detour trail, but it is also in danger of being consumed by the river.

At Blackner’s Bend, farther upstream, the improvements that we built last year and in 2020 have held up so far.  They include a fish habitat side channel, which is now fuller than we’ve ever seen it, and two overflow channels, which are diverting some of the flow and taking pressure off the main stem of the river.  The seasonal pond next to the freeway has also filled up again for the first time since 2011.

It is amazing and gratifying to see ducks and geese now inhabiting an area that had pretty much been a barren desert for over a decade.

Also at Blackner’s Bend we are planning and fundraising to build three bridges, two on the overflow channels and one over the river itself.  When the whole plan is complete, it will connect a large part of the Weber River Parkway to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in both Weber and Davis Counties.  In a sense, it’s a good thing that we haven’t built the bridges yet; back in 2011 the flooding completely destroyed the site that we had been contemplating for a pedestrian bridge in Riverdale, revealing where the river was unstable and where it was stable, and helping us to choose a better site.

Likewise, there may be some revisions to our current trail plans when the floodwaters finally recede this summer.  We know that some repairs will have to be made, and we’re already in talks with UDOT about the possibility of moving the fence along the freeway in a few places in order to provide a more stable location for the trail.  In the meantime, we encourage people to get out and enjoy the trails this spring, but use caution, use common sense, and stay away from the eroding banks and raging waters!

Fall 2023 - Present

In response to historic flooding and unexpected infrastructure changes, and new plans from UDOT in the area where we are working, we’ve worked closely with Trout Unlimited, River Restoration, Oakcrest Design and Contech Engineering to redesign and relocate key components of the trail and pedestrian bridge system located along the Weber River Parkway in the South Weber / Uintah area. Together, we pivoted from the original plan, replacing the 100-foot bridge with a 70-foot span and the two 40’ bridges with two 50’ bridges, and have been adjusting the trail alignment to ensure long-term resilience. With road access permission from UDOT to bring in the crane to unload the bridges, we are making headway. Ahead of installation, crews are working to complete key work such as grading, building abutments, and stabilizing the new trail alignment. This pivoted trail design will result in a safer, wider 10-foot trail and will reconnect important sections of the parkway. 

Looking Ahead: Phase 4 - Phase four will include any remaining abutments still needing to be worked, just before bringing a crew back in to complete the installation of all three bridges and to connect the bridges to the refreshed trail segments.

While this project’s timeline has shifted due to factors outside of our control, we are closer than ever to having this section of trail completed. None of this would be possible without the generous support from organizations and groups such as the Weber County RAMP Grant programming.