Major Milestones

Plans to restore, preserve, and interpret the Yuma Crossing Heritage area began more than thirty years ago.

A study at that time aimed at gaining full economic and recreational benefit from the Colorado River for the Yuma area. The river, once the primary reason for Yuma's existence, had been ignored in recent years as community growth and new development moved away from the riverfront.

Yuma's Historic City Hall will become the Heritage Center, serving as a museum and administrative home for the Heritage Area.

• Hilton Garden Inn and Pivot Point Conference Center opens. This $32 million project is the first private investment on the riverfront since 1930.
• North Channel restoration project in Yuma East Wetlands complete
• A three-mile hiking path in the East Wetlands is opened to the public.
• Pivot Point Interpretive Plaza begins construction.
• 350 acres of restoration now complete in the Yuma East Wetlands
• City of Yuma, the Heritage Area, and the Yuma Visitors Bureau team up to keep the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park open to the public

2008

• Seven miles of multi-use paths along the riverfront and south along the East Main Canal are completed and open to the public.

2007

• Stewart Vincent Wolfe Playground opens in West Wetlands Park
• Main Street reconstruction is complete and is open again for vehicular traffic.
• Gateway Park, a $4.4 million downtown riverfront park, opens in May, rapidly becoming one of the most popular parks in Yuma

2004

• Yuma City Council approves Riverfront Development Agreement to promote private investment on the downtown riverfront
• The lake at West Wetlands Park opens.
• The first 25 acres of restoration is completed in the Yuma East Wetlands

2003

• Yuma East Wetlands design and permitting complete.
• $500,000 grant received from the Bureau of Reclamation for East Wetlands restoration.

2002

• The City of Yuma makes a 10-year commitment to provide staffing assistance and operational support to the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area. This commitment is crucial to the local match requirement
• The Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is approved by the community and endorsed by the Secretary of the Interior.
• The Historic Yuma City Hall (1921) is leased to the Heritage Area as an administrative center and future museum facility.
• The historic Ocean-To-Ocean Bridge is restored and reopened.
• Phase I of the Yuma West Wetlands Park is completed and dedicated.

2001

• Master Plans for Gateway Park and West Wetlands are drafted, reviewed and supported by all stakeholders. In addition, led by the Quechan Indian Tribe and City of Yuma, agreement reached among stakeholders on the East Wetlands Restoration Plan.

2000

• Congress designates the Yuma Crossing as the 2nd National Heritage Area west of the Mississippi River.

1998

• Heritage Area Task ForceÑa 20-member subgroup of the Riverfront Task ForceÑbrought together those interested in the natural and historical settings to work on a unified heritage plan and to help secure National Heritage area designation. They identified 150 cultural, historical, and natural resources within the Yuma Crossing Heritage Area worthy of conservation and interpretation.

1997

• The Riverfront Task Force was created to provide support, direction, and community liaison for all riverfront development issues.

1996

• Yuma Historic Downtown Vision 2020 involved over 500 citizens in developing a new vision for the downtown and riverfront areas.

1984

• The Yuma Crossing Master Plan proposed living history exhibits to identify and interpret the significant historical events at the Yuma Crossing National Historic Landmark. Local funding sources were inadequate to fund this ambitious program

1960's

• The Yuma County Recreation Study led to passage of a tax levy to construct a 590 acre "Yuma County River Park." Although enjoying community support, economic conditions limited implementation of this visionary proposal.