This website was started in June 2019 to share information about planning efforts in Mill Creek Canyon in Moab. It will be updated and changed as community meetings happen and there is more information to provide. Thanks for checking in!
Powerdam Access Road Memorial Day 2020, Photo by Brian Murdock
About Mill Creek Community Collaborative
In 2018 Moab's Mayor called Focus Group Meetings with individuals and entities concerned about congestion and resource impacts at the Powerdam area after meetings in 2017 and 2016 did not yield a clear path forward to address increases in recreation at the Powerdam. In June of 2018 Rim to Rim Restoration was tasked to write a proposal for a technical service assistance grant from the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program for a facilitator to work with a collaborative working group including The City of Moab, Grand County, Bureau of Land Management, Moab Solutions, Rim to Rim Restoration and the Mill Creek Village HoA. This assistance grant was awarded in October 2018 and provides the community with a facilitator from the National Park Service to work with these partners, along with other stakeholders concerned about Mill Creek.
The MCCC working to craft recommendations to land managers that:
"Collaboratively address impacts from increasing recreational use in Mill Creek Canyon by providing access to a quality experience for canyon visitors in a way that protects the natural and cultural resources of Moab’s backyard and addresses impacts to nearby neighborhoods."
Mill Creek Community Collaborative is gathering information and defining the primary issues in Mill Creek in order to make recommendations to managing agencies. As part of this process, MCCC is seeking input from the community that can help guide future efforts in the canyon.
In June of 2019 MCCC developed a survey for the community and 297 people filled it out. From the survey it is apparent that people value the riparian habitat, peace and quiet, beauty, and appreciate Mill Creek as a local hangout close to town. While people wish things didn’t have to change, there is a strong understanding that the time has come to make some hard decisions about how to manage use increases. 69% of responses suggested ways to limit use, such as limiting daily access or establishing a fee system (many mentioned a free or reduced price for locals). 59% of responses gave suggestions for management actions such as better signage, patrols by volunteer stewards, or education about Leave No Trace principles.
MCCC MANAGEMENT GOALS
NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION
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Preserve, restore, and maintain the ecosystem, habitat, plants and wildlife of the canyon
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Protect water quality and quantity in the creek
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Protect the rock art, historical sites, and other cultural resources in the canyon
PUBLIC SAFETY
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Improve EMS and SAR access at Powerdam area, and ensure access at other critical points to facilitate operations
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Improve communication with visitors to make informed decisions, navigate and describe their locations to Search and Rescue (if needed).
PROTECTING SOCIAL RESOURCES & ACCESS
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Maintain a trail network that is sustainable, connected within the canyon and to trails around the canyon, and sensitive to natural and cultural resources.
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Improve access points and trailheads to accommodate visitor use but also address the increasing numbers of people visiting the canyon and the degradation that is occurring as a result of these increases
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Officially designate a trail system on BLM managed lands
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Determine what improvements are needed for currently established trailheads
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Identify potential future access points and determine whether use may need to be accommodated or discouraged
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Limit impacts to the environment and the private property in nearby neighborhoods.
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Address traffic congestion
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Generally speaking many people expressed concern about use levels increasing further, and while many were supportive of fees (like Sand Flats) being charged to help support management efforts there also were community members who expressed that they would stop coming if fees were implemented.
POTENTIAL MEANS TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS (originally drafted as EDUCATION & OUTREACH GOALS)
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Guide users on where to go and how to appropriately use the canyon THROUGH
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Improve trail system, using better signs and maps once a trail system is designated
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Providing information at trailheads and at critical trail junctions
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Consider ways to limit use numbers in places where use levels are having negative impacts
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Share information that celebrates the cultural sites, history, and ecosystem of Mill Creek
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Improve wayfinding signage to inform, direct, and guide users and to aid them in sharing information with SAR.
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Define methods of sharing information (online, on site, in the Moab area)
Haven't we done this before?
In 1996 a group of local residents generated recommendations to protect Mill Creek Canyon from increasing use levels. The primary strategy identified then was to not tell anyone about the canyon. This was implemented by asking local hotels, RV parks and others to not suggest the canyon to visitors, by not creating a pamphlet to direct visitors there, by asking the MIC to not tell people about Mill Creek and by asking the Travel Council to not advertise the canyon.
Installing wattles @ ATV Play Hill, photo by K Dohrenwend
After the BLM drafted a management plan for Mill Creek Canyon Rim to Rim Restoration (formerly Canyon Country Restoration Partnership) worked with BLM and Four Corners Mental Health's Teen Summer work program to remove russian olives and repair trail damage caused by horses, ATVs and what was felt to be a huge increase of visitors. This work has been continued with a focus in the lower parts of the canyon by Moab Solutions and continues today.
ATV Play Hill circa 1996, photo by Kara Dohrenwend
ATV Play Hill 2019, photo by Kara Dohrenwend
In the late 1990s this was called the "ATV play hill" and is located where the Steelbender Trail leaves the canyon above Hidden Valley. In 2003 the BLM built a grange fence and local youth in the Teen Summer work program installed olive wattles. Today the slope is grassy and stabilized.
Gully and woven gully fences circa 2002, photos by Kara Dohrenwend
Planting at Powerdam toilet, photo by Sara Melnicolf
Flat Pass planting, photo by KDohrenwend
David painting over graffiti,
photo by Sara Melnicolf
It worked for over 15 years! The advent of Facebook and increasing use of Google and a a myriad of hiking and travel internet sites has made this strategy obsolete. In recent years visitor numbers to Mill Creek have significantly increased particularly at the Powerdam to access the North Fork Falls. Not only are the Powerdam and the North Fork Falls actively promoted on the internet but AllTrails added Cowboy Jacuzzi as a recommended hike for Moab. When approached to remove this reference AllTrails refused.
Russian Olive Removal with the Teen Summer Work Program 2002 & 2003 , photos by Kara Dohrenwend
Mill Creek from Above, photo by Sara Melnicolf