Category Overview
Local Parks grants help protect these symbols of vibrant communities, providing places for families to gather and play and promoting a healthy and active lifestyle in an era when people spend increasing amounts of their time inside. The WWRP is the largest source of local parks funding in Washington, helping communities fund the acquisition, development, and renovation of vital recreation areas and green spaces.
Project Highlights
Chelan County Natural Resource Department will use this grant to help fund the acquisition of 30 acres of waterfront property for future development of a Malaga Waterfront Park. The primary recreation opportunities provided by this grant are shoreline access, active play, field sports, wildlife viewing, and trail access. The proposed park plan would provide citizens of Malaga with both motorized and non-motorized river access, ADA accessible trails with interpretive signs, scenic vistas with benches, sport facilities, and family amenities such as picnic shelters and playgrounds. Chelan County developed a countywide Shoreline Public Access Plan as part of its Shoreline Master Program update which showed that the Malaga area significantly lacked adequate shoreline access. Despite being on the Columbia River, Malaga has no shoreline parks, trails or boating facilities and is the highest need community in Chelan County for shoreline access. Chelan County, Chelan County PUD and the Malaga-Colockum Community Council have formed a partnership to address the lack of shoreline access. The partnership has evaluated various sites along the Columbia River for shoreline access and solicited local input on the priority features for a future waterfront park. The project is identified and supported in Chelan County’s Comprehensive Plan Parks and Recreation Element; the Malaga Community Vision Plan; and the Chelan PUD Rock Island Relicensing Early Action Measures.