Repairing the River's Edge Trail

By Alissa Byrd

When a landslide threatened to wipe out a portion of the River’s Edge Trail in Great Falls, Montana, NorthWestern Energy and the Missouri-Madison River Fund were able to help pay for the needed repairs.

In 2019, a landslide began to form on a popularstretch of the River’s Edge Trail in Great Falls, Montana,between Black Eagle Dam and Giant Springs Road, causingsevere damage to the trail.

The River’s Edge Trail is a well-used and well-lovedattraction in Great Falls. It stretches 60 miles along the MissouriRiver and offers a combination of dirt single-track andpaved trails.

When a landslide threatened to wipe out a portion of the River’s Edge Trail in Great Falls, Montana, NorthWestern Energy and the Missouri-Madison River Fund were able to help pay for the needed repairs.

The landslide destroyed an approximately 90-footsection of the trail. Before the landslide occurred, preventivemeasures were taken in 2018 with the installing of acrib wall, but it was unsuccessful at keeping the trail fromcollapsing.

The City of Great Falls, which owns and maintainsmuch of the trail, applied for a Missouri-Madison River Fundgrant and NorthWestern Energy matching funds to help payfor the repairs that would prevent the landslide from being anissue in the future. The River’s Edge Trail Foundation, a volunteertrail advocacy group, supported the application with afinancial contribution to the project.

The Missouri-Madison River Fund grant paid for a majority of the repair and mitigation of the landslide. NorthWestern Energy helped fund some of the remaining costs of the project.

“We’re very thankful that River Fund and NorthWesternEnergy stepped up and helped fund the project,” Great FallsPark and Recreation Trail Coordinator Steffen Janikula said.“The construction was very robust, I would say, so it will standthe test of time.”

The project, which was completed in summer 2020, included ageotechnical report, 100 feet of sheet pile wall with helical tiebacks, adrainage system, fencing, asphalt trail replacement, grading and site restoration.

The Missouri-Madison River Fund grant paid for a majority of the repair and mitigation of the landslide. NorthWestern Energy helped fund some of the remaining costs of the project.

The Missouri-Madison River Fund grant paid for a majority of the repair and mitigation of the landslide. Additionally, the City of Great Falls, River’s Edge Trail Foundation and NorthWestern Energy all worked together to fund the remaining costs of the project. The River Fund contributed a total of $237,400. NorthWestern Energy donated$16,300 of the roughly $325,000 total project cost. Without the repair, the trail itself would have most likely slid away, and due to the location of the slide, it would have been nearly impossible to replace without a total rebuild project.

The Missouri-Madison River Fund has helped pay for numerousimprovement projects on the River’s Edge Trail over the years.

“NorthWestern Energy and the River Fund have been a vitalresource in maintaining and repairing what is already there,” said BrucePollington, president of the River’s Edge Trail Foundation.

“I got involved 25 years ago,” Bruce said. “Back then the river wasnot much of a consideration to the public. We wanted to change that forour community. We viewed the trail system as a way to preserve the riverfrontage for public access and recreation.”

Bruce has dedicated his career to holding that promise. In additionto serving as the President of the River’s Edge Trail Foundation Board, heis the public representative to the River Fund Board of Directors.

Transforming the riverfront to a trail became a reality through thededication of trail pioneers like Doug Wicks, ongoing support fromcountless volunteers and government employees and, most importantly,active donors supporting a shared community vision.

“The thing is, I have walked that trail in all seasons, including themiddle of winter, but I have never once been on that trail alone,” Brucesaid. “People are always out there.”

About the Missouri-Madison River Fund Grant Program

The Missouri-Madison River Fund Grant Program,implemented through the Missouri-Madison Comprehensive RecreationPlan, addresses ongoing needs for public recreation inthe Missouri-Madison Project Area. Created as a public-privatepartnership among local government, state and federal agenciesand licensee of the 2188 Hydroelectric Project, River Fund grantsand NorthWestern Energy matching funds are awarded annuallyfor qualifying projects.River Fund Grants since 2007 total:

• $5.3 million in grant funding for public recreation.

• $1.3 million in licensee matching funds.

• $10.3 million in public recreation enhancements.Learn more about the Missouri-Madison River Fund and find

details on how to apply at NorthWesternEnergy.com/RiverFund.Learn more about the River’s Edge Trail at thetrail.org.

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