Troy Warnken, Head Trail Steward
Springtime in Greater Cincinnati is a beautiful time. The flowers are blooming, trees are coming back to life, and the grass shines a verdant green deep into the evenings. These things urge us to be outdoors more, and we all head to the trails to shake out the cobwebs of winter.
But spring in the region also brings us lots of rain. And that means our trail stewards work overtime thinking about trail management and well, just managing the water!
As I have said many times before, managing water and the way it flows over, on, and around the trail tread is the largest key to keeping a trail sustainable. Locally, we are also challenged by the soil composition of most of our natural areas. The clay content and other organic soil properties makes much of the trail we steward act like a sponge and hold water. When water is being held in the soil of a trail, the risks to that trail from user-based erosion is very high. Numerous studies have found no significant erosion differences between hiking, running, and mountain biking. So, no matter the way we are using our trails, if we are recreating on them when the soil is vulnerable to displacement, we are causing harm. Add to that the fact that when trails are wet and puddles are present, people tend to ride or walk around those puddles and widen the trail, and we are increasing the impact to our valued natural resources. And don’t forget, mud causes a LOT of wear and tear on expensive bike drivetrain parts, and can ruin shoes!
To work to preserve trail for all the user groups we support, CORA works with land managers to develop plans for informing the public when the trail conditions warrant either substantial use reductions or closure. These partnerships have resulted in a very simple color-coding system (hosted on our website) so users can make informed choices to protect the natural resources we all enjoy. Here’s what they each mean:
- Green – The trail is in good condition and is suitable for all uses. There may be some small areas of wet trail or water in a low-lying area, but otherwise it’s about perfect for running, hiking, and riding!
- Yellow – There are numerous wet or slick areas. Usage is acceptable, but users should run/ride through wet areas and puddles to keep the widening of the trail to a minimum and make needed repairs easier.
- Red – The trail is not suitable to use because of the water retention. If use was to occur, significant soils would be displaced, creating a heavy repair workload, potential trail and wildlife degradation, and possible closures to repair these damages.
- Blue – This is only seen in the winter and is used to denote that the trail is undergoing the freeze/thaw cycle. This cycle occurs when the water retained in the tread freezes and then thaws repeatedly. This means it is acceptable to use the trail when the tread is frozen (normally before the sun hits it), but use should be discontinued if the user is picking up mud on their shoes or tires.
Trail science is an ever-advancing field, but over the past 20 years the US Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the International Mountain Biking Association have grown the volumes of knowledge significantly. Building trails as sustainably as possible is important, but just as important is appropriate management practices. As the stewards of over 100 miles of trail locally, we are proud to lead the way forward with best practices that will conserve regional trails for years and years to come!
TW