The Graham Creek Nature Preserve will be making a few additions to the land, distinguishing the use of each trail and making it easier for kayak and canoe enthusiasts to launch during low-tide seasons.

Leslie Lassiter, city environmental manager, requested funds from the council for two additions or upgrades to the preserve at the April 18 council meeting, and the council approved both.

The council authorized a resolution approving $2,500 for trail marking and development at the preserve to include marking and improving 18 miles of existing trails for bicycling, walking and hiking.

The improvements, Lassiter said, are cheap and effective ways to organize the trails and improve a few areas.

“What I’m looking at is basically buying mile markers and trail markers,” she said. “We came up with four trail uses: bicycling; walking; hiking; and running.”

There are four trails in the preserve, and each trail will be distinguished for one of the uses.

“Some of the trails will overlap,” Lassiter said. “We haven’t really designated each trail for anything (before). We just had trails throughout the property. Now, we’re going to have them marked and mapped.”

The running trail will be around three-and-a-half miles long, the walking trail around seven miles long, the bicycling trail around six miles long and the hiking trail around five-and-a-half miles long.

The markers and distinguishers should be in place by June, Lassiter said, but many residents already use the trails.

“They’re being used more and more,” she said. “People are just looking at the maps and going off that.”

Because the city did not receive a grant it applied for, there will be minimal improvements to the trails themselves.

“We applied for a coastal access grant. We’ve gotten it in the past. We’ve been notified the funding didn’t come. So, without funding to do the trail improvements we anticipated, we looked at modifying to fit a very small budget.”

Lassiter said there are some mud holes that hold pockets of water, and there will be mulch layers placed in the certain areas.

Another addition is a floating deck for kayakers. The council approved a resolution for $1,540 to add a floating deck to the kayak launch at the preserve to enable paddlers to launch during low-tide conditions.

Councilman Ralph Hellmich said around 200 to 300 people use the launch location, and this floating deck “will enhance the use of that launch point.”

“It is used regularly,” Lassiter said. “There are people who rent kayaks or give kayak tours, and there are local people who use it.”

The reason for a floating deck is because in the winter, the low tide makes it difficult for kayaks and canoes to launch.

“Our launch was above the water level,” she said, “and with the extreme droughts we’ve been experiencing, it has been a problem.”

The new deck will be anchored to the existing deck and will float with the tide, and it will take around two months to be installed.

“It will be easier for people, especially the retired community,” Lassiter said. “There’s a lot of attractions (along the water). There’s a bald eagle nest, an osprey nest and pods of dolphins tend to come in there because of the volume of fish.”