The construction of Fairhaven Trail Phase 2 provided for a pedestrian/bike trail, partially in a wetland and wetland buffer and the abandonment of an existing section of trail in a degraded wetland and buffer. These sustainable trail improvements eliminated sedimentation and allowed water to flow freely, enabling the wetland to function in its natural state. The new trail project had impacts but were minimized using a boardwalk through the wetland and minimizing vegetation clearing through careful trail construction by Gerry Wilbour and his crew at Northwest Trails.
The trail crossed the wetland for 95 feet with 40 feet of elevated boardwalk which includes 254 feet of trail in the wetland buffer. Wetland impacts from the new trail are 846 square feet with 3,649 square feet of buffer impacts (boardwalk results in only 10 square feet of impact). The construction of a crushed-limestone pedestrian/bike trail is 400 feet long and 6 feet wide with 1-foot shoulders on each side.
Northwest Trails Crew working on installing the Wetland Boardwalk in the snow!!
Trail abandonment was necessary to discontinue the pedestrian impacts to the wetland and to provide a safer trail built in a better location. The new trail is meant to bypass an existing trail where significant impacts to vegetation and soils have taken place due to the wet conditions and ill-defined trail. The trail areas were restored as part of the mitigation plan for impacts from the Phase 2 project.
Recreation Northwest’s site mitigation includes restoration of 3,384 square feet of wetlands and 3,649 square feet of wetland buffer enhancement.
