Hurkey Creek refurb planned
At the Dec. 3 meeting, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved a $1 million project to “beautify” Hurkey Creek.
Half of the funding will come from a portion of the County’s funding granted from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The Riverside County Regional Park and Open-Space District will provide the remaining half of the funding.
Hurkey Creek is both a day-use and overnight recreation site in Garner Valley. Currently, at the campground, there are 130 individual campsites for stays up to 14 days. Large group camping is available in five different separate areas that can accommodate 80 to 100 campers each.
According to the recommendation to the Board, the funds will provide for the following work and projects: “. . . replacing fencing throughout the Park with pressure-treated lodgepole fencing, tree trimming along and near Park roadways and campsites, removal of tree stumps, clearing overgrowth, repainting Park restrooms and residences at the Parks entry, re-roofing the day use restroom and Park storage area, and restoring the playground by replacing sun-damaged roof panels, thermoplastic-coated deck panels, climbers, and sensory panels to update play experience.”
To forward the proposal to the board, required agreement from several County agencies that have facilities at Hurkey Creek, use the location or have access to ARPA funding. These agencies included the Riverside County Departments of Public Social Services, Emergency Management, Facilities Management, Information Technology, Housing Authority and the Transportation and Land Management Agency and the Regional Parks and Open Space District.
No environmental assessment was provided with proposal. The staff report stated, “With certainty, the Hurkey Creek Beautification Project will not have a significant impact on the environment. The Project, as proposed, is limited to improvements of existing amenities and facilities within the park. The use of the facility would continue as a regional park and campground and would not result in an increase in capacity.”
