Bighorn River Blueway Trail discussed

A public meeting was held on March 31 at the Fire Hall to discuss the possibility of creating the Bighorn River Blueway Trail for recreationists and citizens. Christy Fleming of the Bighorn Canyon National Park Service gave the presentation. Fleming is also a representative of the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) during the public meeting to gain support for the blueway trail, address concerns, and see what the public thinks about the idea. Dusty Lewis, opened the conversation as a local representative.

Fleming gave some backstory of the blueway trail as it was not an original idea to them. Fleming said that in the 1980s and 1990s, the Game and Fish and BLM got together to create a plan to start developing the river. However, the idea died out and lost momentum. 

Fleming continued and said that an 80-year-old man called the visitor's center in Lovell and said he wanted to float from the Wedding of the Waters all the way to Yellowtail Dam and asked if he could do it. The visitor center replied that they were going to meet a variety of governmental entities and local interests groups to look into the idea. This pursuit led to the reassurance of creating a blueway trail on the Bighorn River. 

Dusty Lewis explained some of his history with living in Thermopolis and said, "it didn't take long for me to realize that Thermopolis was a way more awesome place than I was giving it credit for. And people wanted to come here, and they were looking for reasons to stay." Lewis added, "our river is underutilized. It has been for a long time, but it's finally starting to see traffic levels to the point where we need to figure out how to disperse traffic, and how to manage what is going on there. And it is having an economic impact on the town." 

Lewis told a story about a family from Chicago who wanted to visit Yellowstone and float the Bighorn River. Lewis added, "we're in a real strategic spot. We can do a lot of good for our community. I always kind of think if you're not growing, you're dying and for a long time, Thermopolis has been dying. I like to think we're at an inflection point where we're starting to look at things a little more strategically." Lewis then described his experiences in floating the river and said that as more tourists come they probably will want to float further down the river beyond Hot Springs County.

Next, Fleming gave a PowerPoint presentation to discuss what is a waterway trail and how it is a recreational route along the water. Fleming said, "It's very important in these trail systems that there's community involvement... and the national water trail system has been established to protect and restore American river shorelines and conserve natural areas along the waterways and increase outdoor recreation opportunities."

Fleming emphasized the importance of local community support, which would include fundraising, volunteering, adoption of cleaning, signage, education, and promotion. Fleming added that with the Bighorn blueway trail, "a lot of the public access is going to end up being on public lands sites. The Park Service, BLM, and then the ones that are down here already have public easements, and the Game and Fish manage those. A lot of them already have that public access point." Fleming said a lot of the government entities will be managing those points. The points must also involve public access and follow all the various compliances to protect the environment. The blueway trail must also be open to the public for at least 10 consecutive years. Fleming stated, "trail already exists. We're just going to make it better."

Fleming continued and said that there are six basic things that a national water trail system has to follow by. First is recreation. Second is education, where the public understands the safety issues of being on a blueway trail, such as being aware of dangerous diversions. Also, the public needs to know safe places to get in and out of the river. Additionally, they need to know about public and private lands along the river. Third is conservation. Fourth is community support. Fifth is public information, which includes a better map with updated data and an app for smartphones that would give current water levels and info on public and private lands. Signs along the river access are also important. Sixth is trail maintenance. 

Fleming discussed the possibility of having the national designation of a water trail. Also, Fleming said that they were seeking to define who are the primary users of the water trail. She added, "One thing that came out in the first public meeting was that people were afraid that they weren't going to be able to use powerboats on the river. On the upper section, a lot of people really use a lot of powerboats up there. We wanted to make sure that that's clear, that we're not trying to shut down anything that's already being done. So if you're using powerboats on the river, that is not something we're trying to change."

Another area they are investigating is taking an inventory of access points and to learn of future access points. During the meeting, the public had the opportunity to propose access points that potentially would be on public land. Some of the maps showed old sites that no longer work anymore. They also want to define points of interest and hazards.

Fleming said that based on all of their results and gathered comments and information, the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCA) will create a plan that includes various phases to implement a water trail. 

The first phase is the planning phase, where they develop a vision, select a route, identify trail users, and assemble a team.

The second phase is the inventory phase, where they map the trail, identify publically accessible lands and existing launches, identify points of interest and services, and identify known hazards.

The third phase is the access phase, where they target low-hanging fruit, such as areas where access already exists, determine permit or permission for access, and negotiate or develop land use agreements. 

The fourth phase is the implementation phase, where they obtain funding for needed acquisitions and infrastructure projects, acquire land rights needed for access and camping if needed, minimize environmental impacts and utilize Leave No Trace principles.

The fifth phase is the promotion phase, where they develop logos and branding, assess the needs for signage, design and launch a website, and develop printed materials.

The sixth and final phase is the operation and maintenance phase, where they identify an organizational "owner" or coordinator, develop a management plan, and assemble a corps of volunteers.

Fleming then provided a call to action, which includes asking the public to join a group that would adopt sections of the river. Also, join social media groups such as Bighorn River Blueway on Facebook and contact the Blue Trail representatives. Fill out the online surveys and tell your friends and family. Christy Fleming's phone number is 307-548-5402.

During a question-and-answer session, a concerned citizen brought up the issue of waste management and restrooms. Fleming acknowledged the importance of the matter and said that solid waste must be carried away in wag bags and that education on proper disposal is important. The idea of pit toilets is known to be expensive, according to one subject. 

There were comments about fishing and promoting that sport. One subject asked for a timeline and wondered how long this process would take to implement. Fleming expressed optimism, and she estimated four to five years. 

Another couple of issues were concerns about overcrowding and garbage thrown into the river. One subject said they observed bottles, cans, cigarette butts, and buckets as trash in the water. Flemish replied that conservation is important to clean things up. 

Safety was another issue brought up. One subject told a story about some city kids from out of state that they rescued because the river was too high and was unsafe to float in. 

One of the ideas proposed was to create a shuttle service business to help floaters, especially if they had a long trip.