It was nicknamed “The Beach.”

A sliver of land purchased by the city in 2012 and intended to give Durangoans a new river access point north of the crowded 32nd Street put-in.
Tucked in between Highway 550 and the Animas River, the 43-acre property was officially referred to by the names of its owners, Cameron-Sterk. Not anymore.

The City Council put the stamp of approval on its new name during a March meeting. It now begins its new life as the Oxbow Park and Preserve.
The city also purchased a smaller piece of land last year adjacent to Cameron-Sterk, dubbed the Sherman parcel, bringing to total of the Oxbow to just more than 44 acres. Plenty of plans are in place for the future of the Oxbow, including restrooms, parking, a conservation area and a boat launch.

The shovels won’t start hitting the dirt this year, though. Some things that will happen this summer are trash clean up, weed removal and the release of a management plan.

City officials are putting the final touches on the plan for the future of the Oxbow Park and Preserve. They expect to issue it for public review sometime within the next week. They are also planning to host two public hearings in early May, so Durangoans can offer up their two cents.

The first will be during the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting at 5 p.m. Wed., May 8, at the Durango Rec Center. The second will be during the Natural Lands Preservation Advisory Board meeting at 6 p.m. Mon., May 13, at the Durango Public Library.

The management plan will be available on the city’s website, www.durangogov.org.

– Tracy Chamberlin

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