The city of Eugene has completed a federally funded improvement and realignment project on the shared-use path that runs through the university’s riverfront property.

The reconstructed 12-foot-wide concrete path, which now includes trail amenities and lighting, has been moved back in places from the riverbank to protect the shore and straightened to eliminate some sharp turns.

Parts of the previous path close to the river have been converted into a gravel walking trail. Restoration of impacted areas began last fall and is continuing. 

In addition to restoration work by the city’s project, the Riverfront Land Lab project, led by professor Michael Geffel in the UO Department of Landscape Architecture, is underway. 

Earlier this year, a mix of wildflowers native to the southern Willamette Valley was planted. Temporary goose exclusion fencing and protection fabric have been erected to protect the wildflower seedlings. 

The temporary project is in addition to ongoing research Geffel began in 2018 to implement a drift mowing regime in part of the riverfront area to control blackberry growth. The drift mowing research is a coordinated effort with Campus Planning and Facilities Management to adapt routine maintenance to support faculty research.