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Our Catalina Arizona |
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Catalina Regional Park News and Info
She then spoke
of the original park plan and the 2 million dollar bond that had been approved for its construction. When the CAC (Citizens
Advisory Committee) made it clear that lighted ballfields, for which 1 million of the fund was earmarked, were not what the
community wanted, that money was transferred to the Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, also in District 1, to build the fields there.
The Catalina Regional Park CAC had made it clear that this park should emphasize conservation, environmental education, and
light recreational use. The area to the north of Golder Ranch should be developed for more active use with "play areas",
not lighted ball fields, and the area to the south of Golder Ranch Road should have a more passive conservation/environmental
focus. In response to the Committees mandate, the transfer of funds for the ballfields was recommended by the County Bond
Advisory Commission and then unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors. Next to present
was, Don Carter, Catalina Regional Park Manager. After giving a general view of some of the pending projects, including a
beginners mountain bike trail at the north end of the property to be planned and developed with the help of Coronado teacher,
Hank Rowe, and his students, Don spoke at length about the conservation area south of Golder. It's a great birding area
that includes a pond and legacy trees which Don and his staff have worked hard to restore to their pre-flood beauty. In the
future, this area will hopefully connect to the 50-year trail as an easement across State Land will be requested. A Heritage
Fund grant of $26,000 has been obtained to construct 3 wildlife viewing stations. There is a multi-access area just south
of Trotter Lane that will be improved. Although the area is currently paved and handicapped accessible, work will be done
to further improve that access. Improved fencing throughout the park and construction of a linear north-to-south trail are
currently being worked on. We then got to meet Kerry Baldwin from the Natural Resources
and Open Space division of the department who spoke about the White Dog Ranch, formerly the Fitzgerald property. It had been
hoped that this facility would be leased to the U of A and 4-H, but it seems the struggling economy has caused that agreement
to be put on hold for now. In the meantime, a roof has been added to the barn, and work will be done to shore up the concrete
block stall area. Efforts are under way to further clean up the White Dog area to make it available for community and private
events. The audience then got to meet Program Manager, Lauren Harvey, who gave a presentation
on the small family park to be constructed at the northeast corner of Golder Ranch Road and Lago del Oro Parkway. The conceptual
drawings (posted below)are 90% complete and construction of that facility should be completed by late 2009. This area will
be open dawn to dusk and will include 2 ramadas, a shaded play structure, 1 acre of turf for freeplay, a half basketball court,
drinking water and restrooms. There will also be a public art installation at this location that is being planned in conjunction
with the Catalina Community Arts Council and the Tucson-Pima Arts Council. In response to
some audience questions: -All trails will
be multi-use, with no motorized vehicles to be allowed on the trails. -The only drinkable water and restrooms will be located in the small family park (also called Site
2) -In response to one resident's concern
about flash-flooding in the park, Director Rafael Payan said that although it was common for recreational areas to be located
in cachement basins and along seasonal washes, he would research how other such areas handle the threat of flash-flooding. -It was stated that no bank stabilization or other flood
prevention techniques would be utilized in the park. The area will be allowed to recover naturally. -The speed and volume of traffic along Lago del Oro was a concern of many in
attendance, but is outside the jurisdiction of the parks department. As work progresses on the park, the residents seem to
agree that they would work together to bring the issue to the attention of the County Sheriff's Department and the County
Department of Transportation. One resident has already requested a current traffic study of the area.
Here's the latest park update just received from CRP manager, Don Carter:
Catalina
Regional Park (CRP) is finally out of the starting gate. From February to the present the primary objectives have been
access control, getting water to plants at the old Saul Pond, putting in and maintaining a wildlife drinker where the pond
used to be, tooling up, and making plans future park projects. The
Catalina Regional Park’s temporary headquarters is located at 4135 E. Trotter. The phone number is (520) 818-3807. By
next year, the headquarters will be moved to the A-frame house at Golder Ranch Road and Lago Del Oro Parkway. Don Carter is the new CRP Park Manager. He has worked for Pima County Natural Resources for 8 ½
years. Prior to his appointment as the CRP Park Manager, Don was a Senior Natural Resource Specialist and a Park Ranger/Park
Police Officer. Don has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Arizona in Renewable Natural Resources. His
major was in wildlife ecology with a minor in fire ecology. Prior to going back to school at age 34, Don was a firefighter
with Rincon Valley Fire District, a trail crew leader with the National Park Service, electronics technician at IBM, and a
U.S. paratrooper in the United States Army. Ed Neier has
worked with Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation for twelve years. Prior to working for us, he worked for the State
of Arizona’s Natural Resources Department. Originally from Montana, Ed loves the outdoors. He has explored, hiked,
and hunted in every mountain range in Southern Arizona. He truly is a “Mountain Man”, and we are very lucky to
have him on board. Tom Shaw has worked for Pima County Natural
Resources, Parks, and Recreation for several years at Catalina Park. Tom is community minded and has a positive effect wherever
he goes. His efforts have been, and are, greatly appreciated. Catalina Regional Park is a long and narrow park
that follows the Canada Del Oro (CDO) Wash flood plain. The property is owned by Pima County Flood Control District and
is managed by Pima County Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation. Because different portions of the park are going
to have different uses, it was decided that the park should be broken down into four management areas as follows: Since the park’s establishment, the most persistent question has been, “What is the county going
to do about those weeds?” Pima County Natural Resources recognizes the need to mitigate potential allergy and fire sources
and is in the process of doing so. The areas that pose the greatest fire risk to life and property are being dealt with
first. Pima County Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation has been actively working with the Golder Ranch
Fire Department, Arizona State Land Department, Coronado National Forest, the Catalina Village Council, and numerous other
agencies, organizations, and individuals, to develop the Catalina Community Wildfire Protection Plan. What does this mean
to the Catalina residence? It means that if and when a fire occurs in Catalina Regional Park, emergency response agencies
will be better prepared to handle the situation. This preparedness state will come about through fire preplanning (area
familiarization) and treatment of fuels (vegetation) within the park. The primary fuel treatment will be pruning trees
and thinning brush where appropriate to the wildlife habitat. The overall Catalina Community Wildfire Protection Plan
extends well beyond the boundaries of the Catalina Regional Park and will soon be available for public review through the
Golder Ranch Fire Department. As many of Catalina’s residence have found, we are in the process of
fencing off certain areas of the park. There has been some concern that traditional horse and hiking trails will be fenced
off; this is not the case. The only areas that are currently being fenced are those that have been used for illegal off-road
motor vehicle activities or illegal dumping. Some areas will be fenced for public safety, for park security, or to keep
livestock out. Access to any major trails has not been blocked, but a couple of smaller trails have been rerouted so
as to avoid having too many gates or entry points into or through the park. Again, the goal is to reclaim habitat and not
fragment it with too many trails or fences. The two large barns at
the White Dog Ranch are currently being renovated. Ed Neier has been responsible for getting the weeds and debris cleaned
up at the ranch. The place is shaping up nicely! A management agreement with the local 4-H should be in place soon. The
4-H will be responsible for the day-to-day activities associated with the ranch, and Catalina Regional Park staff will
oversee all of the activities at the ranch and offer assistance where needed. The 4-H will be using the facility as a
“mini fairgrounds”. There will be livestock and animal shows as well as Gymkhanas and other exciting events
for local kids. Finally, Dispelling Myths… Q. Is it true that there are going to be large
soccer fields in the park? A.
No. There was some talk years ago about putting in soccer and ball fields, but those ideas were not approved. Q. Is Pima County going to put a dirt bike track
in the park? A.
No. There are no plans for dirt bike tracks or any other tracks for motorized vehicles.The idea has been kicked around about
possibly allowing a small bicycle trail for beginner mountain bikers and BMX riders at the north end of the park, but
no decision has been made Q.
Are there going to be ball field lights at the equestrian center? A. No. However, smaller arena lights (that would make it possible for
the 4-H to hold night events in the summer) might be considered at a later time if approved by the community. Q. Will fishing be allowed in the wetland area
when it is completed? A.
No, fishing will not be allowed for two reasons. First, Pima County Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation does not allow
fishing on any of its properties. Second, the only fish in the small pond will be Gila Topminnows and Desert Pup fishes
that are about 1-2 inches long. Both of these species are endangered. Q. Is the county going to fence off the entire park with 4-strand barbwire? A. No, only areas that need to be fenced to protect
the resources or the public will be fenced. When Pima County Natural Resources, Parks, and Recreation installs 4-strand
wire fences, barbwire is only used in the middle and smooth wire is used on the top and the bottom strands of the fence. This
fence design is recommended by Arizona Game & Fish. However, where possible only smooth wire will be used. Post and
cable fence will be used in some areas as long as funding is available. Catalina Regional Park Update July 2007 · Regional Flood Control District
o The County’s Regional Flood Control
District is evaluating the Cañada Del Oro Wash hydrology to determine flow rates and areas of impact. This data will
take into account recent rainfall data and current watershed conditions. o Aerial photography and topography has been delivered to the RFCD and the consultant has begun constructing
the hydrologic model. · Park Manager
o Don Carter is currently working with several
biologists and the Arizona Game and Fish Department in restoring the pond area to mimic the surrounding area and continuing
evaluation of the native wildlife. Restoration of the pond area is underway. o Don is working on a weed control/abatement plan for the park with several test plots planned. o Don is also continuing work on erecting fence to secure
access into the park. o Don will be working
out of the park headquarters on Trotter and Lago Del Oro. · Park Design o Design
for the proposed playground area north of Golder Ranch Bridge, the staging areas (near the Miraval Resort to the north, Rollins
Road to the south, and immediately north of the Ranch), and memorial plaza/art are underway. Westland Resources has completed
75% plans which are now under review by Pima County. o
The restroom design is being evaluated by the Department of Environmental Quality. o Construction will begin once the plans have been approved and permitted. This is anticipated to
be late summer 2007. o Trail easements and
alignments are being verified. ·
Ranch Site o Demolition of fencing, hot
walkers, buildings not involved in the rehabilitation, and corrals, etc. is ongoing. o Roof trusses are currently being manufactured and should be delivered to the site in early July.
Construction of the ranch buildings will begin mid July. o A tractor with accessories has been purchased for use both within the park and at the ranch. o The railroad car bridge has been evaluated and determined
by our consultants to be in good condition. A weight restriction will placed upon the bridge for safety reasons. Handrail
and planks will be replaced and brought up to current code. |
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