On this particular Wednesday I had a couple hours in need of killing, and since I had my bike along I decided to go rolling around Fort Worth's Gateway Park.
We will take a look at what I saw today, sort of in reverse order. I parked near the western Gateway Park boardwalk overlook looking over the Trinity River. We will get to the Gateway Park boardwalk overlook later.
But first, near the end of today's Gateway Park area exploration I found myself atop the last dam which impedes the Trinity River as it flows through Fort Worth. After this dam the river returns to its more natural state as it flow east through Gateway Park on its way to Arlington and then Dallas where the river gets sort of returned to being un-natural again.
As you can see, via the above DANGER sign, it is advised that one not wade, swim or boat in the current state of the Trinity River. Yeah, I'm sure without that sign there would be a lot of people wanting to get wet or float at this location.
On the way down the trail to the dam and that WARNING sign the above additional warning has been added since I last rolled at this location.
"WHEN FLOODED TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN".
Yeah, I imagine before this sign was added a lot of people ventured past this location when the river was in flood mode and met a sad drowning fate. Actually when the river is in flood mode this location is a bit scary and I can not imagine anyone being dumb enough to get near enough to be in danger.
Above, another look at the dam and the Trinity River's current dried up status at this location. This photo was taken part way down the Trinity Trail leading across the dam. You can see that DANGER sign you saw in the first photo in the middle of the dam in the above photo.
Above my handlebars are under the Beach Street Bridge, looking east at that dam we are heading towards, crossing the dried up Trinity River.
The above is new paved trail, accessed via rolling under that aforementioned Beach Street Bridge. This used to be a primitive gravel trail, with the paved Trinity Trail on the other side of the river. Now there are paved trails on both sides of the river. This new paved trail terminates with a return to gravel at the location of the long abandoned original Coyote Drive-In. Or whatever that long ago movie viewing venue was called.
This new paved trail ventures into the zone which I believe the Trinity River Central City Uptown Panther Island District Vision, more commonly known as America's Biggest Boondoggle, has excavated a lot of dirt, moving that dirt to the east side of the Trinity River, and Gateway Park, where it has been piled into a sort of mountain. I believe this excavated area is intended to store water when the Trinity River floods and that flood water is diverted at high speed through The Boondoggle's flood diversion ditch which may one day be dug under the three simple little bridges currently being built in extreme slow motion on dry land, hoping one day to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island.
I also believe this area I biked through today is the location where J.D. Granger has said his Boondoggle would plant thousands upon thousands of flood impeding magic trees.
I saw no new trees which I could identify as such today.
Speaking of bridges. Today I saw evidence that Fort Worth does know how to build a new bridge.
A new section of the paved trail in Gateway Park took me to the Trinity Trail which is now using the old bridge over the Trinity River as a bike and pedestrian bridge. Above you see my bike stopped in the middle of the old bridge, looking at the new bridge.
That new bridge was built in about a year's time. Built over the actual water of the Trinity River. Water which went into extreme flood mode during the building process. Twice. With one of those times seeing the flood water rise so quickly that heavy equipment had to be abandoned, unable to be moved to dry land before being flooded.
Meanwhile in another area of Fort Worth, under a corrupt Fort Worth congresswoman's son's inept management, three simple little bridges have teetered on ineptly designed V-piers, for years, over dry land.
Early on in today's Gateway Park bike ride I came upon the overlook boardwalk on the east side of the park.
What an improvement over what used to be at this location. Well done.
And look how scenic the Trinity River is at this location. So peaceful. The river almost looks inviting enough to go inner tube floating in it...
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