Green Scene: the River Center

Located at the heart of the Roaring Fork watershed and in Basalt, Colorado, the Roaring Fork Conservancy's River Center is designed to house the program's administration, a water quality laboratory, an exhibit hall and classrooms. Bluegreen, whose work Garden Design has covered this year, teams with the Conservancy to reclaim a former brownfield site and integrate with Basalt's first riverfront park. Riverine environments, key wildlife habitat and open space are scheduled for rehabilitation as part of this project and including plans for future phases of rehabilitation and educational outreach. A few of the site's "green" program elements include bioswales and runnels to collect storm water, wetlands and enhanced pond edges, rain and roof gardens and native plantings. In collaboration with the Conservancy, Bluegreen provides land use planning, site master planning and landscape architectural services for the River Center.