Click image for downloadable full size image.
Del Norte Riverfront Project
Thanks in part to DNTO, the Town of Del Norte has the FIRST dedicated recreational feature on a section of the Rio Grande in Colorado. Users can now access the river on both the north and south banks of the Rio Grande.
The massive whitewater feature, made of large boulders and concrete, is a multi-use boating play wave flanked by tiered-boulder banks. In the spring the concrete chute creates exciting kayaking and rafting, while later in the season it is popular for paddleboarding, tubing, body surfing, and as a refreshing swimming hole for the community. The structure incorporates a fish ladder for passage upstream, and the river work includes bank restoration work and new trout habitat structures.
The new Riverfront Park officially opened in August of 2020 and will remain a natural habitat with old cottonwood trees and willows. This park contains a new boat ramp, ample parking area and turn-around space, an ADA accessible picnic area with a pavilion, benches, wildlife-proof trash cans, and a clothes-changing structure.
The project physically connects the people of the valley to the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande is and has always been the lifeblood of the Valley, and now families are touching, playing, and enjoying it together.
History
In 2019, the US Army Corps of Engineers issued a 404 permit to the Town of Del Norte and Del Norte Trails Organization Inc., allowing the Del Norte Riverfront Project to begin construction. This culminated years of work, funding, public processes, and permitting requirements to make any changes on or near an American Waterway.
Rio Grande Headwaters Restoration Project, Trout Unlimited, Town of Del Norte, Riverbend Engineering, and Del Norte Trails Organization worked in cooperation on the project.
