Santa Fe River Trail and River Renewal Community Event

On Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. , the City of Santa Fe will celebrate the opening of new segments of the Santa Fe River Trail, and the completion of extensive improvements along the Santa Fe River between Camino Alire and Frenchy’s Park. The celebration will take place at the southwest corner of Calle Don Jose and the Santa Fe River Road. The gathering will include a ribbon-cutting ceremony, music, activities for children, tree planting, and a group bicycle ride. Attendees are encouraged to ride their bicycles (or walk) to the event. Park-and-bike options include Alto Park, Griego Park and Frenchy's Park, which are all situated along the River Trail.

The newly completed sections of the Santa Fe River Trail add 1.3 miles to the city's urban trail network for pedestrians and bicyclists. The River Trail now extends from St. Francis Drive west to Frenchy's Park for a total of 2.1 miles of off-road, non-motorized travel along the river's edge.

Extensive work completed on the Santa Fe River includes new grade-control structures, built with large limestone boulders. The structures will help to control erosion and prevent the continued down-cutting of the river bed. New bank protection will stabilize river banks to protect the river trail and other adjacent properties. With grading and contouring of terrain, steep eroded river banks have been reduced to gentle slopes while the river's flood plain has been widened, which will slow down storm flows. Rock-lined structures along the river's edge will help capture and clean storm-water runoff from adjacent streets. Plantings of new trees, shrubs and grasses will provide for new greenery, shade, wildlife habitat and additional channel stabilization.

The $4.5-million project was paid for with funds provided by the State of New Mexico, along with City of Santa Fe bond funds that voters approved for the development of the city's urban trail system.