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I-I SECTI ON I PARKS, RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE OVERVIEW The river valley still hosts a tremendous variety of native plant and animal life (see Appendix A). Descending into this riparian environment, one can escape the city bustle and rediscover the sights, sounds and scents of nature. If creatively restored and enhanced, the river can be a place to play, a wildlife refuge, an education facility and floodway, as well as a unique feature and focal point in the heart of the Denver metropolitan region. INTRODUCTION The South Platte River and its tributaries are very important natural resources in the Denver metropolitan area. Most of the region's population lives within walking distance of these waterways, making them key 1 inks from nei ghborhoods to a met ro-wi de recreat i on and transportat i on system. Increasing urban pressures require that we preserve and enhance the river corridor's recreational, wildlife and aesthetic benefits and that we continue the realization of its potential. GENERAL The South Platte River is also a valuable resource as a home and refuge for a wide array of fish and wildlife. Though riparian ecosystems occupy less than two percent of Colorado's total 1 and area, some 43 percent of the state's wildlife and over 50 percent of its bird species require a riparian ecosystem to exi st and thri ve. The ri ver' s cont i nuous ri pari an habi tat, anchored by South Platte Park and the Smith Natural Area at either end of the 40-mile corridor, is critical to the survival of hundreds of mammals, reptiles, birds and fish that inhabit or migrate through the area. Even though the recreat i ona 1 resources of the Rocky Mountai ns 1 i e just to the west of the urban region, access is almost exclusively dependent upon the automobile. The use of the automobile to reach the mountains further compounds the already critical air pollution problems of the metro area. The 1 ow-to-mi ddl e income areas of Denver 1 ack suffi ci ent recreat i ona 1 space, as does the region in general (page IV-57). A centrally located regi ona 1 recreat i on resource is needed to help all evi ate thi s defi ci ency and to serve as an a lternat i ve to the weekly, mountai n-bound exodus of Denver residents. Urban wildl ife is receiving increased attention across the nation. The city developed USing the South Platte as its primary life-giving resource. In the same way, the river is essential to the wildlife along the river which was here long before man settled in the Denver area. Its role in maintaining the balance between man and nature is important. The South Platte's potential as such a resource for metropolitan Denver is unparalleled. Since it forms the area's backbone not only in terms of physi ca 1 1 ocat i on, but al so with respect to transportat i on, dra i nage and employment concentration, it is readily accessible by most of the urban population. Tributaries to the South Platte and major highways offer direct connections from the river to surrounding business areas and residential communities. The fi sh and wi 1 dl i fe resources whi ch are dependent on the ri ver and its associated riparian habitat must not be subordinated to the perceived uses of the ri ver by man. Cottonwoods, wi 11 ows and other nati ve plant speci es provide food, shelter and breeding habitat for the wildlife that share our urban envi ronment. It is important that much of the ri ver be mai ntai ned and improved in a natural state, although introduced species such as Russian Olive in areas of beaver depredation may have value. The preservation and management of wildlife snags is critical, as the number of species that prefer dead wood, in fact need it for survival, is vastly underestimated by the general public. Like most rivers around which an urban area has grown, the South Platte has been overlooked and neglected. In many areas, encroachment has resulted in flood problems, blight and pollution (page IV-57). It is time to utilize this valuable resource for better purposes.