Officials plan to fix Colorado River area

Chris Kahn

Wednesday, July 14, 1999 | 9:28 a.m.

PHOENIX - Larry Thompson doesn't want to be called an environmentalist.

But when the Missouri native first came to Bullhead City in far western Arizona 14 years ago, he saw a Colorado River in decline. He saw places like "Cottonwood" Cove and "Willow" Beach without any trees.

Thompson hopes to change that with a new project to create 14 miles of trails, replant trees and build wildlife migration corridors south of Lake Mead. He wants to create canoe and kayak routes along the river to quiet areas dominated by jet skis.

"When you fall in love with the Colorado River, it grabs you and you want to hang on to it as much as possible," he said.

Admittedly, improving the area would be great for Thompson, who owns a kayaking company a mile away from the river.

But for communities that are dependent on tourism like Bullhead City, a healthy environment is vital to keeping a healthy economy, said Joe Winfield, a landscape architect for the National Park Service and a project consultant.

The rocky, sun-baked community on the southern edge of the Arizona-Nevada border was built on top of a ghost town more than 50 years ago to accommodate the builders of Davis Dam.

Today, the Colorado River pushes past Bullhead City's western edge at a tame, regular pace, giving its 40,000 residents some escape from the 115-degree summer heat.

Across the river in Laughlin, Nev., glimmering casinos beckon to tourists. Million-dollar homes and motorized boats share river banks with the beavers and egrets. About 5 million people visit the area each year, and the population is expected to double in 20 years.

Thompson, who grew up along the Mississippi, said he knows what uncontrolled growth can do.

"(In Missouri), they cut the mountains out and put signs up everywhere for country shows. They put these big, godawful theaters everywhere," he said.

Thompson said he saw how people could poison their rivers, and he couldn't just watch it happen again.

So far, the project is planned to link parks in the region from the Lake Mead National Recreation Area to the Colorado River Nature Center. The Nature Center has been marked for habitat restoration, Winfield said. The river's edge will be recontoured there to allow more vegetation to take hold.

"The growth is overwhelming, and the greenway project is a way to deal with that," said Tom Brady, parks administrator for Mohave County.

And hopefully, it will provide a safe haven for endangered native fish like the boney tailed chub and the razorback sucker, Winfield said.

Officials from Bullhead City accepted Thompson's project and started planning the greenway project in January with help from the National Park Service. The project planners are contacting residents and asking for advice about where to put new trails.

"I think it will be a wonderful if we can get the locals to support it," said Doc Jordan, a local chiropractor.

Bullhead City's taxpayers could bear a major portion of the project's cost, said Toby Cotter, a spokesman for the city. To avoid this, Cotter said project staff is actively looking for state and federal funding.

But city officials are committed to building a greenway, Cotter said, because the future of the city depends on the future of the river.

"Keep in mind the river is a destination for thousands per week," Cotter said. "It's an exciting time to be here."