The City of Trail’s River Wall Restoration project is well underway to improve the river’s shoreline.
The $140,000 project includes improved viewing of the river, easier access to maintenance and cleaning of the river wall.
City of Trail Public Works manager, Larry Abenante says through the use of riprap rock – large rocks, the result of demolition – donated from the Waneta Dam project, the city is reinforcing the base of the river wall.
The riprap will absorb the force of the water surging towards the wall and slow the water’s flow up the shore, reducing erosion. Hopes are to have the rocks laid before the water levels rise once again.
Not only will the city be adding to the area surrounding the wall but also removing various aspects.
“Part of the restoration is also to get rid of a bunch of the trees that are down there, mostly cottonwoods and poplars,” Abenante says.
The removal of these trees will clean up the shoreline and allow a small road to be built adjacent to the Old Bridge allowing easier access if maintenance is ever needed underneath, where a sewer interceptor is positioned.
Also being removed, in an attempt to clean the area further, are the numerous graffiti marks strewn across the wall.
Lastly, Abenante says the weep holes in the wall itself will undergo a thorough cleaning, to ensure if there is any water behind the wall, the wall will ‘weep’ and allow the water to pass through.
While the River Wall Restoration project has no set time of completion, Abenante says, the city and it’s workers are “going to keep baying away.”