Delicate Arch Trail Plan Available for Review

Date: May 10, 2007
Contact: Laura Joss, [phone]

The environmental assessment (EA) on the Salt Wash crossing of the Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park is available for public review and comment.

Flooding in October 2006 eroded a new channel and removed a section of the trail adjoining the existing footbridge over the wash. The EA evaluates four alternatives for the trail crossing of the wash:

• No action: continued use of a temporary footbridge erected after the washout.
• Filling the new channel section with boulders stabilized with concrete, and rebuilding a trail on top.
• Constructing a concrete double box culvert in the new channel, with a trail on top of the culvert.
• Installing a prefabricated weathering steel, clear-span truss bridge across the new channel.

After evaluating the impacts of the alternatives, the National Park Service has identified the truss bridge as the preferred alternative.

Arches National Park welcomes public review and comments during the public comment period from May 14, 2007 through June 13, 2007.The park will make a final decision on how to proceed after reviewing comments from the public on the EA.

The document is available in electronic format on the internet at http://parkplanning.nps.gov. Hard copies are available by request from the park at 435-719-2210 or via email.

If you wish to comment on the Environmental Assessment, you may post comments online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov, or mail comments to Arches National Park, ATTN: Delicate Arch Trail EA at P.O. Box 907, Moab, UT 84532.