$350K grant awarded to complete Delta Ponds Trail in Eugene

EUGENE, Ore. -- It's an early Christmas gift for the Eugene Parks and Open Space Division.

Parks managers have been awarded a $350,000 state grant.

The money will be used to complete the Delta Ponds loop trail.

It's one of the most heavily used nature trails in Eugene, but right now it dead-ends in two locations.

The grant money will be combined with funds from the voter-approved City Parks Bond of 2018 to do the project.

"This is about adding a quarter mile or so of trail," says Philip Richardson with Eugene Parks and Open Space Department. "There will be a 100-foot span bridge and it will complete a loop here at Delta Ponds. It's really the culmination of 20 years of work, so we're very excited about it."

The current Delta Trail is just over a mile and was set up in 2012.

It's popular for area "Birders" and people wanting to spot one of the larger populations of the western pond turtle.

Work on the trail extension will be done by 2021.