See what visitors suggest for Modesto’s river park. The 7-mile expanse can seem uninviting
In the 1960s, Modesto-area leaders began acquiring pieces of what would become Tuolumne River Regional Park.
They had a grand vision for a seven-mile river stretch that had lost much of its natural character. Trails, picnic tables and other amenities would sit amid remnants of riparian forest and floodplain.
Some of that has happened, but the park today is not always inviting. Visitors can encounter trash dumps, homeless camps, loose dogs, vandalized restrooms and other problems.
On Thursday evening, about 30 people got a reminder of what the park could be. They gathered in the Mary Grogan Grove, an especially scenic spot near the airport district, to offer ideas for TRRP’s master plan update.
“We’re in a beautiful park, and you’ve really got to ask yourself why it’s not being used,” said Art Fabela, who lives near the west Modesto portion of TRRP.
The park does not charge entry fees, so visitor counts are hard to come by. But it’s clear to anyone who frequents the 500-plus acres that many people stay away. This includes the mostly low-income neighborhoods that abut TRRP.
The update is being done by O’Dell Engineering, based in Modesto, for the park’s governing board. The consultants held three meetings for the public and will conduct an online survey in English and Spanish until June 23. The final document could be out by year’s end, including possible projects and funding sources.
The current master plan was completed in 2001 for the park, which runs between Mitchell and Carpenter roads. At the time, the main attractions were the picnic areas near Modesto Airport and trails in some of the other stretches.
The past two decades brought more trails, although gaps remain. The Carpenter end got some of its promised soccer fields. A ramp for non-motorized boats could be built this summer across from John Thurman Field.
Near the Highway 99 bridge, the Gateway area has taken early steps toward someday being the park’s centerpiece. It has trails and restored floodplain but needs better access from downtown for walkers and bicyclists.
Safer places for soccer kids
Mary Grogan Grove was named for a longtime Modesto park and recreation director. It is expected to be closed through June due to the high river level. It reopened briefly for Thursday’s meeting, held in a picnic area shaded by valley oaks.
Airport district resident Norma Padilla would like to see better security in this part of TRRP. And she urged more space for nearby children to play soccer.
“People don’t want to come practice down here because they’re scared,” she said in Spanish through an interpreter. “So much beautiful space we have here.”
Fabela said TRRP would draw more people if they could buy food and drink nearby. He suggested such businesses on part of the former Municipal Golf Course, next to Thurman.
Airport district resident Gwenda Campbell said the river corridor has fewer salmon, foxes and other wildlife than decades ago. She supports light-touch upgrades such as an amphitheater but not sports fields.
“This has been a nature walk forever and a day,” Campbell said. “When I was little, we used to come down here and they would teach us about nature.”
Most of river is diverted
Salmon have struggled in part because of upstream diversions of the Tuolumne. In an average year, about 80% of the flow goes to the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts and San Francisco.
The Tuolumne River Trust would like to change this via much-larger releases from Don Pedro Reservoir. The diverters have offered smaller boosts in a tentative agreement with state regulators.
Higher flows could also buoy kayaks, canoes and other small vessels. The upcoming west Modesto boat ramp will be the first one in the park. Advocates hope for something similar to the Stanislaus River, where reservoir releases are higher and a modest rafting industry has emerged.
The TRRP board includes two Stanislaus County supervisors, two Modesto council members and one council member from Ceres. It has a small operating budget but has received several state and federal grants for projects. TRRP also might get some of the income from the sales tax approved by Modesto voters in November.
At Thursday’s meeting, the consultants put up display boards showing possible upgrades to the park. Attendees could mark their preferences with green stickers.
They gave high scores to sports fields, trails, beach access, watercraft rentals, disc golf, fitness courses, river restoration and performance spaces. Not so popular? Archery, zip lines, a roller rink and rock climbing walls.
Other pieces of the park
Other things of note about the status of TRRP, from park documents and recent Modesto Bee reporting:
An amphitheater and picnic pavilion are scheduled for 2024 in the Legion Park section. It will overlook a swimming beach inundated for now by the massive snowmelt.
The American Legion Hall will not be rebuilt from last year’s fire, due to the cost and its location in a floodplain. A future use has not been announced.
The Mancini Park portion of TRRP will get a new playground next year, funded by insurance proceeds from the Legion Hall fire. It is on the south bank of the river but could someday get a footbridge that eases access to the other segments.
A key gap in the trail system is where E. & J. Gallo Winery runs up against the river. The company has agreed to provide a strip of land to the city of Modesto in exchange for part of the rundown Beard Brook Park. The new trail link will require a footbridge over Dry Creek, not yet funded.
The Carpenter Road area will get new trails and floodplain restoration via a grant to the city and Tuolumne River Trust. This could happen in 2024. Floodplains ease the risk to downstream homes while nurturing young salmon and recharging groundwater.
The Gateway area this summer will get a river viewing spot and boardwalk, located near the Ninth Street Bridge.
The new Seventh Street Bridge, scheduled for completion in the next few years, will include a better entry point into TRRP.
Dirt paths run the length of TRRP, used by hikers, joggers and mountain bikers. The eastern half also has paved paths, which are better for wheelchairs, strollers and street bicycles. A paved extension to the Thurman area could be built next year.
The airport district just got bike paths allowing easier access to TRRP. The project also added sidewalks on some of the blocks that still lack them. Stanislaus County Public Works used state and local money for the project.
