Mississippi can't beat California river viewsMississippi can't beat California river viewsOctober 8, 2004
Over the past two weeks, I had the opportunity to visit some of the nation's most beautiful river waterways. Our family vacation this year was to explore the southern United States including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. Each state is rich with rivers, deltas, streams, creeks and bayous, many of them just like our own Delta region.
In some ways I was more impressed with the beauty of our own area, because for the most part it is more visible. One of the days on our trip we traveled along the Mississippi River as it flowed from Baton Rouge to New Orleans and for most of the journey the river wasn't visible because the land area is below sea level. I often wished the view was like our Highway 160 drive from Antioch to Sacramento where the water is eye level and one can enjoy the view.
For the most part Oakley's views of the river are much the same as the views of the southern states because like them, Oakley really has no land access to the Delta. Sure we have marinas where boats can come and go, but people who are just interested in a day by the Delta aren't welcome to visit the marinas if they don't have a boat.
In some of the southern states this has been taken care of with little parks and trails where people can take hikes and explore the local region. In Louisiana around New Orleans, for instance, there is a park called Barataria Preserve where people can take a walk along the bayou on a paved trail and look for alligators, frogs and birds. It is much like the Marsh Creek Trail that the East Bay Regional Park District has put together here in Oakley, except that one can walk right along the swamp on a boardwalk and get up close and personal with the area. Now that would make the trail we have here much more worth the journey.
In Memphis, Tenn., there is Mud Island River Park which is located on the banks of the Mississippi River. On the island there is a five block-long scale model of the lower Mississippi with 20 city maps and miniature bridges. Visitors can follow the course of the miniature river and learn about its features. Mostly it is just a nice park where people can view the real Mississippi. Like our area, there aren't very many places around Memphis where people can just hang out near the river. Mud Island is set in a park-like setting with lots of grassy areas, benches and walkways to enjoy the area.
On a very small scale this is what it might be like when our Delta Science Center is completed. The Delta Science Center is finally coming to fruition. Last month ground was finally broken on the new center and crews began the demolition of several structures to make way for an observation pier. The first phase of the center involves removal of a residence, water tower and derelict barges while the observation pier is built. It will extend 120 feet into the Delta and include a shade structure.
The second phase of the project, expected to begin around spring 2005, will include grading and construction of an access road and parking area. The third and final phase will be the most extensive, when the interpretive center itself is built. There is no timetable yet for when this construction phase will occur. The Delta Science Center is a great step in giving people access to our Delta.
Along our travels in the South we ran into many areas like Mud Island. In San Antonio, Texas, their Riverwalk is a 6-mile network of paved walking trails that connect a large downtown commercial and residential area. Maybe we wouldn't want anything that elaborate in Oakley. What would be nice is some access to the river for everyone to enjoy. Not everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the river from a boat, some of us would just like to take a nice hike and watch the birds fly by.
Roni Gehlke's column on life in Oakley appears each week in the Brentwood News.
Distributed by the Contra Costa Times