Since the summer, the City of Keota has been working on a project to move and improve the trailhead for their end of the Kewash Nature Trail, and the Washington County Riverboat Foundation elected to help them with the project. During the “Happy Trails” portion of the WCRF grant presentation, Keota was awarded $50,000 to further fund work on the trailhead. The project is spearheaded by Keota Unlimited, and members Melinda Eakins and Denny Lyle were in attendance at the grant presentation. Eakins said the trailhead is currently functional, because Lyle worked to create a gravel parking lot and a limestone pathway to get to the trail. She added, “We’re going to use this money next year, maybe to build a picnic shelter and some of the amenities that we’re looking for.”

While they achieved their goal of getting the trailhead functional, Lyle says there’s still work to do. They have landscaping to be done, which will be aided by a grant they received from the Trees Forever Branching Out program. They also have money from a Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) grant that will help to pave part of the parking lot and do some additional grating. He hopes to make their trailhead one of the nicest in the area. The total cost of the project is $177,500, and with the addition of the WCRF grant, they are close to being fully funded. Eakins said they’re waiting to hear about another Trees Forever grant for additional plantings including biosoil, which would help the environment and manage the drainage situation at the trailhead.