Economy diverts plan for Douglas river parks

Although three river parks proposed for Carson Valley could be years down the road because of budget constraints, members of the Douglas County Parks & Recreation Commission spent an evening mulling over prospective names and conceptual plans for the parks.

"These will be permanent public facilities, and the names will stick forever," Douglas County Community Services Director Scott Morgan told park commissioners.

However, Morgan said construction of the parks could be 5-10 years away depending on funding. He said plans are on hold until the county commission, which has two new board members, provides direction.

The three proposed parks would be passive in nature, meaning they'll have limited amenities and limited maintenance costs: vaulted toilets, trash bins, picnic tables and some improved parking areas. Their main function will be to provide access to a public resource, the Carson River.

A 7.3-acre park is proposed for a popular fishing area along the East Fork below the broken dam near Ruhenstroth. The park is tentatively named the "Rocky Bend Park" because of its rocky shores.

The proposed 3.7-acre "River Bend Park" would also be situated along the East Fork, but located within Gardnerville near the intersection of Centerville and Waterloo lanes.

Morgan said the Centerville park would probably see the most use because of its in-town location and its expansive shore line. A dog park has been proposed for a plateau near the entrance of the park, and a fishing platform has been proposed to overlook a steep embankment along the eastern shore of the river.

The proposed 6.4-acre "Willow Bend Park" in Genoa would be situated along the main Carson River north of where the east and west forks converge.

The section of the river is a popular destination for rafters and kayakers. At high water flows, rafters put in at Genoa Lane and take out at Cradlebaugh Bridge near Highway 395.

At this point, names for the parks are tentative. Park commissioners said they'll explore other options, including the use of Washoe or Basque languages in the names, or other ways to honor the cultural traditions of the Valley.

"If nothing comes from it, we still have three names (Rocky, River, Willow) we can live with," said park commissioner Kelly Gardner.

In 2005, county commissioners shot down a proposal to improve the Centerville property with picnic tables and a swimming/inner-tubing area.

Morgan said surrounding ranchers had expressed concern about people wandering onto their property. But he said the creation of the park would actually protect the ranchers against liability because state law grants statuary immunity to landowners surrounding designated recreation areas, areas with posted rules and clear boundaries, which the properties currently lack.

He also said the passive design of the parks would provide access but would not encourage users to move up and down the river.

"Before we even get started, I want to be really sensitive to their (the neighbors') needs and show them that we can build these beautiful river access parks without impacting them," he said.