Erosion Control, One Wattle at a Time

We all have our opinions of what a good time means, but if you live in Park City, there’s a fair chance that a good time for you includes getting outside and enjoying the beauty of nature.

In early October, the team at the Park City Chamber & Visitors Bureau got to experience firsthand what it takes to preserve that beauty. Joined by Utah Open Lands, Mountain Trails Foundation, and Park City Municipal, we (the Park City Chamber staff, board members, and representatives from Ski Utah) participated in a Community Give Back Day that was part of the Sustainable Tourism Plan. 

The restoration and re-seeding project took place on October 7^th at the former Bloods Lake trail in Bonanza Flat. Erosion control was the name of the game, and we helped by planting native and other durable plants, as well as placing signage to keep hikers on track. 

Equipped with water, snacks, shovels, and fancy rakes that no one seemed to know the name of, we split up into teams and dug, planted, and “wattled” our way to completion. (In case you were wondering, wattles are essentially manmade tubes full of straw and are used for erosion, sediment, and stormwater runoff control). (If you win at Jeopardy when they ask what a ‘wattle’ is, you’re welcome).  

In addition to the feeling of accomplishment, you can imagine we all felt, we wrapped up the day with a delicious lunch from Hill’s Kitchen.

While it was only one day of work, and while we were far from professionals in our picking and shoveling skills (the wattling we had down pat), we walked away with a new perspective and deeper appreciation for the hard work that goes into building and maintaining these trails, and the passionate people who help to preserve the land and minimize environmental impact.

We can say wholeheartedly it was a refreshing, fun day working as a team to get something done outside in the beauty of Park City.