The North Fork Watershed Project in Davis will host its first volunteer work day to begin the construction of the Blackwater riverfront trail.
Work will begin at 10 a.m. Saturday, with volunteers meeting at the North Fork Watershed office at 737 William Ave. in Davis. All equipment and tools needed for the day's task will be provided. A short trail safety class will be given before work begins, and anyone of any skill level can find something to do.
Ben Wiercinski, Americorps volunteer for the North Fork Watershed Project, said the volunteer activities will range from not very physically active to somewhat intense.
"Everyone is welcome," Wiercinski said. "This Saturday we hope to get the community out to get more people to realize that the Blackwater is an asset to Davis. We just hope to get people to realize that the river is here and we should promote more use of it."
Volunteers are encouraged to wear long pants and work shoes and to bring water and a snack. The trail volunteers will make a 5-foot-wide trail and will create access points from the trail to the Blackwater River.
The trail will begin at the Davis town park and will run down stream for approximately a quarter of a mile.
The riverfront trail will end at a United States Geological Service's water gauging station.
The team also will construct a bridge of treated lumber along an 8-foot section of the trail spanning over a small stream running into the Blackwater.
To thank the participants for their hard work, pizza will be provided to all volunteers at the end of the work day.
A second volunteer trail work day is set for Aug. 5. Wiercinski said phase two of the trail project will include placing informative signs along the trail. The signs will explain the area's history and will include old photographs showing what the Blackwater riverbank and the town of Davis used to resemble.
The signs will highlight the Davis' timber industry, sawmills, pulpmills, tanneries and the people who lived and worked in the town.
The North Fork Watershed Project is a branch of the Friends of the Blackwater nonprofit organization.
For more information about how to get involved with the trail project, anyone interested can contact the North Fork Watershed Project at 304-259-5600.
