Port Orchard's Big Pond Trail needs county's attention

The Big Pond Trail in Port Orchard is a delightful three-mile meandering path that encircles, as you may have guessed, a shallow body of water known as Big Pond. Part of the trail is within the McCormick Woods community and is maintained by the community HOA. The remainder of the trail is within the Coulter Creek Heritage Park, owned by Kitsap County Parks.

For the most part, the trail is in great shape. However, during the rainy season a section of the trail in the Coulter Creek section passes through a slight depression and becomes filled with water. Many hikers enjoy the trail year round (I am one of them) and a network of slippery tree limbs in the depression to act as a crude bridge over the large puddle mysteriously appears after the first heavy rain of the season.

I contacted Kitsap County Parks and requested help in providing a more stable and permanent solution. I suggested a low boardwalk over the depression, or the simple fix of filling the depression with wood mulch or gravel. I promised to round up a squad of volunteers to assist. A friendly and receptive county parks representative agreed and promised to take a shot at a resolution.

The representative called a few months later to let me know the decision by parks management was, unfortunately, to do nothing. The rationale was that the non-existent salmon would be hindered and beavers, which there are definitely some in the area, would object to having the depression altered. I was also told a Coulter Creek master plan was forthcoming to address my issue. To date no master plan exists.

Robin Gohd, Port Orchard

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Port Orchard's Big Pond Trail needs county's attention