Phase 1 of Saddle Rock Remediation Project Complete

The City of Wenatchee has, short of filling out some grant paperwork, completed Phase 1 of the Saddle Rock Restoration Project.

Piles of waste rock from previous mining operations have been removed from the lower Saddle Rock areas. The rock piles contained several harmful chemicals and are their removal is the primary reason for the project.

Crews also filled in old exploratory mine openings, known as adits.

Visitors may notice areas that seem unnaturally green when the trail reopens November 27th. That's because the dirt underneath what used to be the rock piles, as well as the topsoil now covering the adits, have been hydroseeded.

"That is grass seed that's been sprayed on the bare dirt areas for a couple of purposes." Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Director Dave Erickson said, "The first purpose is to regrow grass out there and the second  is erosion. Once it's sprayed out there it has a sort of mulch layer with it and so it creates a crust. So that helps protect the dirt from eroding away."

The city is asking recreationists to stay out of the hydroseeded areas.

While Phase 1 is all but complete, the trail that was used will be neglected until the late summer in 2020.

"The work in Phase 1 kind of focused on the lower area of Saddle Rock." Erickson added, "You'll notice that the trail is in pretty rough shape. Especially on a wet day, you're going to come back with mud-laden boots. So just be aware of that, because the main trail was beat up from all the truck traffic coming through the construction."

Phase 2 will continue to chew up the trail as well as some new roadways up the hillside that will have to be created. The second phase of the project will concentrate on more waste rock piles that are located further uphill in the Saddle Rock area.

Once Phase 2 is complete, crews will work to make improvements on the trail on their way back down. New drainage, surface, benches and interpretive signs will all be added.

The Saddle Rock Restoration Project is expected to last through around October of 2020.

The project was largely funded by two Department of Ecology grants, totaling about 90% of the project's cost.