# FAIL: Boulder County ditches Boulder-Lyons trail over feeder canal concerns



## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_13366883


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Pablo said:


> http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_13366883


Yup...the NIMBYs didn't want it. I still don't see why they couldn't just open the existing irrigation canal route to riders.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Yup...the NIMBYs didn't want it. I still don't see why they couldn't just open the existing irrigation canal route to riders.


Because of the District may or may not own title to the land the canal passes through (it might be just an easement) as well as liability and water quality issues.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Pablo said:


> Because of the District may or may not own title to the land the canal passes through (it might be just an easement) as well as liability and water quality issues.


Yup...and it's too costly to battle all the landowners for access. So for now it continues to be a free private access path for those fortunate enough to have owned property along it. The liability and water quality issues seem like more of an excuse than anything--they have other paths that parallel water supply canals with no issues.

BTW...did you see this one? It's bound to get ugly before it's all over:

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/ci_13366982


> The city of Boulder has asked a judge to approve its plans to acquire a swath of commercial property along 30th Street in order to build a pedestrian and bicycle underpass.
> 
> City officials filed an eminent domain petition Tuesday, saying that negotiations with property owners have not been fruitful.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> The liability and water quality issues seem like more of an excuse than anything--they have other paths that parallel water supply canals with no issues.


If I operated a canal, or received deliveries of water from a canal such as the canal in question (or, say, represented an entity that did), given the option regardless of what they do elsewhere, I wouldn't want the public galavanting around my canal due to liability and water quality issues . . .

. . . but as a cyclist, I wish I could ride it.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Pablo said:


> If I operated a canal, or received deliveries of water from a canal such as the canal in question (or, say, represented an entity that did), given the option regardless of what they do elsewhere, I wouldn't want the public galavanting around my canal due to liability and water quality issues.


Of course. You do know that equestrians and joggers poach that canal trail all the time already, right? And you really can't regulate the habits of wild animals crapping in the water supply.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> Of course. You do know that equestrians and joggers poach that canal trail all the time already, right? And you really can't regulate the habits of wild animals crapping in the water supply.


So the water users should open the proverbial floodgates? You might not be able to stop high school kids from trespassing on your yard, but that doesn't mean you put in a sidewalk and picinic tables for them. Flies might land on you picinic sandwich, but you still shoo them away. Mmm, picnic.  Worse water quality means higher treatement costs by . . . you, specifically.


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## PDex (Mar 23, 2004)

This whole thing has been badly handled by the County; particularly Will Toor.


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

You can still ride between Boulder and Lyons on US 36.


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## kokothemonkey (Jul 7, 2004)

MikeBiker said:


> You can still ride between Boulder and Lyons on US 36.


And that's the route I would have still taken even if the path was approved. It didn't sound that great to me so no big loss. It PO's me that the NIMBY's won though, sets a dangerous precedent.


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

kokothemonkey said:


> And that's the route I would have still taken even if the path was approved. It didn't sound that great to me so no big loss. It PO's me that the NIMBY's won though, sets a dangerous precedent.


It would have been nice to have an off-road path all the way from Boulder to Lyons though. Right now you can do it, but you need to ride some pavement and gravel roads to get there (closest I can think now is taking Lee Hilll to Olde Stage to Heil Ranch and taking that alll the way to Lyons via the new Picture Rock trail. US36 is getting busier and busier with cyclists as well as vehicles and trucks. It doesn't feel nearly as safe as it used to.


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