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<br />. <br /> <br />Afterword <br /> <br />Much has happened since the design team's visit in June, 1988. Perhaps the most significant accomplishment has <br />been the acquisition of Watson Island and ten acres on the mainland (the Lewis property). After two years of negotiations, <br />a fair price was agreed upon. The seller will have one year to remove all personal property, which includes many car <br />bodies and miscellaneous salvage. The Department of Energy will be removing uranium mill tailings from the island <br />this summer and the Grand Junction Fire Department has agreed to burn all dilapidated structures on the property. <br />By the Spring of 1990, the property will be cleaned up and basic recreational amenities developed. <br />Another important component to this area's development is flood control. The Corps of Engineers recently completed <br />a Reconnaissance Study for this segment of the Colorado River and has recommended a flood control levee be built <br />with Corps involvement. The City has approved the funding for the next phase of study and has included funds for <br />construction in the 1990 capital improvements budget. <br />Funding for a new state park along the Colorado River, which would include the uranium mill site, got a major <br />boost recently when the Capital Development Committee of the Colorado Legislature recommended approval of $750,000 <br />for the project. There are still several hurdles to be cleared, but the proposal is one step closer to reality. <br />Negotiations with other landowners continue. The DOE has hired a consultant to work directly with the salvage <br />yard owners on the uranium tailings clean-up. Options to relocate the businesses are being pursued. <br />The project continues to grow downstream from the urban riverfront. A trail segment has been completed at the <br />west end of the study area linking an existing trail on the south bank of the River with Riverside Park. Several other <br />segments of trail are planned for construction this summer. The design alternatives offered by the NEA team will continue <br />to provide a vision for the community and guide the development of the urban riverfront. <br /> <br />37 <br /> <br />- <br />