River Restoration

The Deschutes River is a 250-mile river that provides diverse recreation opportunities for residents and visitors in Central Oregon. After noticing an all-time high number in visitation, the Bend Park and Recreation District conducted an inventory of the riverbank’s habitat and found that nearly 100 user-created access points had been made – highlighting the need for visitor use management and natural resource protection measures.

In 2003, the Chickaloon Village Traditional Council requested assistance from the National Park Service - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program to develop a partnership approach for restoring Moose Creek to its natural course.

In 2000, Groundwork Lawrence facilitated a community planning effort that became the Spicket River Greenway. Today, the Spicket River Greenway consists of 3.5 miles of new and restored parks and trails that connect multiple neighborhoods, schools and community centers.

Just 50 years ago, the Cuyahoga River was heavily polluted and set ablaze. Ready to reclaim their waterway, a coalition of community members, organizations and the National Park Service collaborated to make the river a designated water trail and develop a structure to manage the waterway. Today, as Ohio's 13th water trail, the river is accessible to wildlife and recreationists while boosting economic development in surrounding communities.

Flowing through the heart of downtown Bozeman, Montana, Bozeman Creek had been narrowed, straightened and its riparian vegetation was reduced to a thin line. Guided by an agreed upon strategy, the City of Bozeman and the National Park Service - Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance program, along with other partners, worked together to restore the creek to its original health. Through community engagement, Bogert Park is now a source of pride and outdoor recreation.

NPS-RTCA collaborated with City of West Jordan in Utah, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission, and 15 other partners to develop strategies for restoring the river and adjacent lands which became the Big Bend Habitat Restoration project.

Eleven Connecticut communities have joined together in support of developing a large landscape greenway along the Naugatuck River. With momentum generated from project assistance provided by the National Park Service in 2012, leaders in the Naugatuck River Valley continue to plan and construct sections of the greenway to enhance fisheries, wildlife corridors, outdoor recreation and economic opportunities throughout the region.

Nestled against the southern border of Zion National Park, the community of Springdale, Utah is inextricably connected to the Virgin River. It is their source of drinking water, the foundation of their tourism economy, and a reminder of their pioneer history. With rapid commercial development encroaching on the river corridor, residents of this desert town, with help from the National Park Service, established conservation strategies via the Virgin River Management Plan.