40 miles of canal banks would expand Tri-Cities network of walking & biking trails
A proposal establishing a new, robust trail system in Kennewick could see as many as 40 miles of canal roads redeveloped into walkable and bikeable pathways.
The Wigeon Way trail system — named after a year-round dabbling duck that calls Tri-Cities home — would connect the Kennewick foothills to the Columbia River shoreline through a 63-mile trail corridor.
It would essentially quadruple the size of the city’s current network and serving as a connector to other Tri-City trail systems.
The city’s current 14 miles of paved pathway is often limited and disconnected. That includes the riverside Sacagawea Heritage Trail, the Highland Feed Canal Pathway, the Columbia Park Audubon Trail and the Spirit of America Trail in Zintel Canyon.
Nick Farline, Kennewick’s Parks and Recreation Director, says it’s challenging to find north-south and east-west routes.
“We don’t have an adequate amount of trails throughout the city of Kennewick,” he said.
The Wigeon Way branding and proposal are included in the city’s first-ever pathways and trails plan. That plan still needs to be adopted by the city council, and city staff will need to seek out federal and state grants to fund these projects. It would be a long-term investment, with improvements and new trails being added in several phases.
Kennewick Irrigation District and Columbia Irrigation District, which own most of the right of way, would be prominent partners in the endeavor.
Some canals are piped and covered with paved or unpaved surfaces, while others are open channels with roads on one or both sides.
A pathway connecting Union Street to Edison Elementary serves as a model for what the Wigeon Way system could look like.
Sharon Grant, co-founder of Friends of Badger Mountain, the group that works to preserve Tri-City’s ridges for public use, says they’re pleased to see Kennewick develop a robust plan for trails.
The demand for walkable, hikeable and bikeable paths is huge in the region. The Badger Mountain and Candy Mountain preserves alone draw more than 400,000 annual users, she says.
About 84% of respondents in a recent Kennewick community survey say they are either “very” or “somewhat” supportive of improving or expanding the city’s existing trail system.
Trails topped a list of 26 public facilities and amenities that were ranked by importance, according to a community survey in the city’s 2024 parks and recreation comprehensive plan.
“People want to be physically active, they want to do so locally and they want options,” Grant said. “That the city of Kennewick is giving resources to create an inter-connected system of more and different kinds of trails across the city is good news.”
She says they will work to connect Kennewick’s trails to theirs when the time comes, perhaps at Amon Basin or Thompson Hill.
“We’re also pleased that the city will connect to the new effort by the Shrub Steppe Trail Alliance to develop mountain biking and hiking trails in the Kennewick Hills,” she said.
Kennewick finds ‘a gem’ in its canals
Wende Wilber, a senior principal planner with Kittelson and Associates, the pathways and trails plan consultant, says the canal infrastructure is “a gem” for the city of 85,000.
Collaboration on the trail plan has already included discussions and meetings with the county, irrigation districts, steering committee and at public outreach events.
Larger cities like Phoenix and Boise have conducted similar projects to their canal and waterway systems to positive results.
“Kennewick’s trail system currently serves some people, but it is limited and can be challenging to access,” the trails plan reads. “Getting to a trailhead often means making a dedicated car trip across town. Our trail system has the potential to serve everyone, and with a strategic trail system expansion, most people could connect with a trail via a short walk or bike trip from home.”
The plan calls for $7.5 million in improvements to the city’s four existing trails before beginning construction on new ones.
New trails will be prioritized by their ability to connect to community resources, such as schools, community centers, parks, hospitals, libraries and shopping centers. Projects will also be prioritized by their ability to connect disadvantaged communities, dense communities and their overall feasibility.
Kennewick has highlighted nine high-priority projects worth more than $33 million likely to be added to the city’s six-year capital improvement plan. These projects call for creating paved pathways, about 10 to 14 feet wide, near community and recreational hubs, with wayfinding signs and garbage cans.
Thirty-four other projects were listed in city documents for long-term investment.
The trail plan also includes data on reported vehicle crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists. Between 2019 and 2023, a total of 122 such crashes were reported. A majority, or about 78, involved pedestrians, as did four fatalities.
An increase in public trails also could also require more staff to maintain them, the plan says.
In 2024, the city had 21 full-time equivalent staff tasked with maintaining parks and trails. An extra 54 miles of trail would necessitate upwards of 8 additional full-time equivalent staff members. That might also require more tools and equipment for gravel maintenance, trash and vegetation management, safety and storage.
This story was originally published February 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
