During a June 4 meeting with residents of the region, representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rolled out some specifics of a Master Plan for the Knights Ferry Recreation Area, which provided a lot of information about the area and the plan to include a new environmental assessment.
Hilary Wright, a District Natural Resource Specialist, elaborated on the details of the plan, noting that the document has not been updated since 1977.
“Our plan is to maintain what is currently in the park including campgrounds and day use areas,” said Wright.
Many residents were curious as to when the maintenance and/or repair of the historic covered bridge that has been closed for almost three years would begin and Wright noted their frustration while informing them that this can be a time intensive process. The landmark bridge – the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi – was originally taken out of service due to structural integrity and safety concerns in late 2022, explained John Mueller, Operations Manager at the USACE. He added that officials are working diligently to get through the three-phase process to re-open the bridge. Mueller also noted that because the bridge has been designated as an Historical Landmark, the process to assess, inspect and repair the bridge could take some time, as the repairs have to be completed by authorized personnel that have met the qualifications to work on historical landmarks.
While the update on the bridge was appreciated, many residents were left with questions including how to control unwanted visitors that seem to frequent some of the recreation areas, often leaving debris and starting fires with little to no regard as to where the fire might spread. Mueller explained that they have implemented a fire ban but that they would not be pulling the fire pits out of the recreation areas, much to the dismay of some of the residents. Questions about park rangers and how closely the areas and the parks are being monitored continued to surface throughout the meeting while the representatives from the Corps of Engineers tried their best to address some of the concerns. As Mueller reminded the group, they are looking to minimize risk and address hazards so they will not always be able to address all of the questions or concerns but that both USACE and the community need to come together to find solutions.
Dolly Haskell, Postmistress at the Knights Ferry Post Office, was frustrated at the lack of clear direction with regard to fire mitigation and noted, “It only takes one stupid person. This has got to be addressed. It’s your property. It’s your job.”
Haskell also invited the panel from the US Army Corps of Engineers to participate in the next Municipal Advisory Council Meeting, which is coming up on July 24 at 7 p.m. in the Knights Ferry Community Clubhouse. MAC meetings provide citizens with opportunities to share information and provide resources with their fellow community members as well as the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors.
Wright reminded everyone that while they don’t have timelines for everything yet, they do plan on completing the Master Plan Update Project by Sept. 30, 2025. Wright also noted that the Army Corps of Engineers welcomes comments and feedback from the community and any residents with an interest in the future of the Stanislaus River Parks. Those that want to share their opinions, suggestions and comments can either email them to cespk-stanislaus-river@usace.army.mil or mail them to: USACE Sacramento District Operations Division, ATTN: Hilary Wright, Stanislaus River Environmental Assessment, 1325 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Comments are due on or before July 6, 2025.
