Flooding nearly closed Cross Timbers Trail for good in 2015.
But thanks to a renovation project spearheaded by the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant Regional Water District, and nonprofit organization Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge, the trail reopened Oct. 13 at the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge.
"Nature Center visitors who have never hiked this trail are in for a real treat," Nature Center Manager Rob Denkhaus said in a statement.
Renovations to the 3.5-mile trail include a gap in the trail's levee, which allows water to move freely in either direction, preventing floodwater destruction. A 79-foot bridge was also constructed for pedestrians.
Even before the closure in 2015, Cross Timbers Trail was difficult to access due to levee breaches. With the renovation, the refuge hopes to improve accessibility to not only the trail, but also Todd Island, an island located on the northernmost part of the refuge and surrounded by waters of the West Fork of the Trinity River. The island is home to wildlife like wild turkey, armadillo and whitetail deer.
"We continue to see more interest and public-private support for wonderful projects like these," said Chris Smith, president of the Friends of the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. "The City, TRWD, Nature Center staff and Friends coming together demonstrate an increasing local desire to preserve and protect our beautiful natural resources, which are so vital to a growing, vibrant region."