NEWS RELEASE

After several months of closure due to flood damage, Cloverdale River Park will be re-opened for public use on Saturday, July 1, 2006.

Last New Years' storms caused severe damage to Cloverdale River Park. Almost an acre of riverbank in the northern portion of the park was washed away, partially undermining the parking lot, group and family picnic sites, and destroying 350' of paved riverfront trail that connects McCray Road to First Street. The flooding also destroyed several hundred feet of fence and irrigation.

Sonoma County Regional Parks has repaired the damaged paved trail and installed temporary fencing along the steeper sections of the bank along the southern end of the parking lot for public safety. Temporary irrigation repairs have also been made to provide water to the recently installed plants along the trail. Over the course of the summer, Regional Parks will work with a number of regulatory agencies to perform some temporary bank stabilization work to prevent further damage to existing facilities over the next rainy season.

The long term plan for this portion of the park is to restore the bank to a more natural river terrace condition, enhance the natural habitat, and improve public access to the river with the installation of a ramp and boat portage area. Regional Parks currently has a claim in with FEMA for a substantial portion of the work required to restore the bank to its pre-flood condition, as well as a pending grant application with the State under Proposition 50 River Parkways program to restore the bank and perform habitat enhancement. The total cost of this project is estimated at $1.3 million. If the FEMA claim is approved and the grant from the State is awarded, Regional Parks plans to begin the design, engineering, and regulatory permit process over the next year.

Sonoma County Regional Parks thanks the public for their patience during the closure of the park, and encourages use and enjoyment this riverfront facility during our future restoration work. For additional information on Sonoma County Regional Parks, call (707) 565-2041 and visit www.sonoma-county.org/parks.