ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
Relentless heavy rain in October has left part of the Katy Trail battered and in need of repairs. When the weather is nice, the trail is packed with bikers, hikers, and runners. But the month of October was anything but nice. Dawn Frederickson, the coordinator for the Katy Trail State Park, says the waves of gully washing rains took a toll.
Fredrickson says, "It's created enormous challenges. There will be sediment buildup or log jams and the water will be diverted around the culverts and then go over the trail."
Heavy rains come flooding down the hillsides causing debris to pile up against bridges and other locations along the trail. The water has nowhere to go except through and over the trail washing it out at a number of locations. In a typical storm, Frederickson says it's not unusual to have 10 to 15 washouts in St. Charles County alone.
Crews are working feverishly to make repairs, but riders still need to be alert. In areas that were washed out there is a ton of this loose gravel. If you hit this at full speed on your bike, you're probably going to go flying.
Fredrickson says, "It's created enormous challenges. There will be sediment buildup or log jams and the water will be diverted around the culverts and then go over the trail."
Heavy rains come flooding down the hillsides causing debris to pile up against bridges and other locations along the trail. The water has nowhere to go except through and over the trail washing it out at a number of locations. In a typical storm, Frederickson says it's not unusual to have 10 to 15 washouts in St. Charles County alone.
Crews are working feverishly to make repairs, but riders still need to be alert. In areas that were washed out there is a ton of this loose gravel. If you hit this at full speed on your bike, you're probably going to go flying.
