The SPET proposal for the Wilson Bridge Recreation Area envisions a public park with an improved boat ramp, additional parking, pathway access, green space and a protected eddy for swimming.

This is why the project must be done now:

1. The Wilson Bridge Recreation Area is the most heavily used river access point in Teton County, and the existing facilities are stretched beyond capacity. Parking is limited, and congestion has gotten so bad that the Snake River Fund is creating a River Ambassador program to educate users and ease conflicts. Use of this section of river has increased 200 percent in the last 10 years, according to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Even before the Pathway Bridge was proposed, the Fund was looking for ways to make this area work better.

2. The Pathway Bridge over the Snake would land right in the midst of this already congested area. An engineering study concluded this is the best place for the bridge, as the river is narrowest there. There is no way more use can be accommodated without taking a comprehensive look at the area and devising a better plan for safer and more efficient recreational access.

3. The current parking situation on the southwest side of the bridge is unsafe. There have been numerous accidents on Highway 22 caused by vehicles stopping and turning at the end of the bridge. At peak summer, Highway 22 is busier than Interstate 80. An improved Wilson Bridge Recreation Area would create more parking off Highway 390 and utilize the Stilson lot, integrated with the pathway network and pathway bridge. A comprehensive redesign would separate vehicle traffic from cyclists and pedestrians, and allow more people to access the river without driving.

4. For nearly 10 years the public enjoyed a swimming spot created by gravel extraction on the southwest side of the bridge, the “Wilson Beach.” Several years of high water wiped out the swimming hole, sending bathers upstream to the boat ramp, where they are in conflict with outfitters, anglers and other boaters. Conceptual plans envision a terraced bank and protected back eddy for swimming. The Wilson Beach was an incredibly popular community amenity; it’s time to bring back the beach!

5. The boat ramp is part of Teton County’s critical recreational and tourism infrastructure. Float and fishing trips on this stretch are a significant part of our economy. Private landowners have been gracious in not obstructing outfitter and public access to the boat ramp and beach. Without a transfer of ownership to Teton County, this essential access spot could be lost.

6. Especially given the current economic climate, there is a need to provide free, easy access to recreation along the river. All segments of the public utilize the Wilson Bridge area for walking, fishing, running, swimming, cross-country skiing, dog walking, floating, wildlife viewing, public art, skipping rocks, building sand castles, sun bathing and holding hands. The Wilson Beach was particularly popular for families.

7. Efficiency: Funding for the Wilson Bridge Recreation Area must be approved now because of the impending construction of the Pathway Bridge. It would be foolish not to plan and build both projects at the same time. Doing environmental studies, permitting and river bank work jointly, instead of in two separate projects, would yield huge cost savings to taxpayers and take less time.

8. Time-sensitive: Teton County is part of a task force overseeing the transfer of BLM parcels along the Snake and has signed a MOU pledging to take ownership of the Wilson Bridge parcel. This transfer process began in 2004. The task force identified SPET as the appropriate funding mechanism for Wilson Bridge improvements. Six years out of a 15-year timeline already have expired; planning, permitting and completing the transfer is likely to take one to three years. Delaying the start of this process, or deferring to some other, as-yet-to-be-identified funding option, will only further delay the transfer process itself, let alone the construction of facilities to manage ever-expanding use.

9. Improvements at the Wilson Bridge Recreation Area would be done in a manner that would preserve the rustic, natural environment. Wildlife and fish habitat would be prime concerns. The opportunity exists to restore some of the riparian zone and mitigate any loss of habitat.

10. The Snake River Fund has been paying for maintenance, bathrooms, trash pickup and recycling at the Wilson Bridge Recreation Area for nearly 10 years. The Fund has agreed to continue this cooperative agreement after improvements are made, meaning the project will not burden Teton County with increased administrative and maintenance expenses in the future.