The President’s Corner

The River Reach Foundation’s annual election meeting will be held on Thursday, October 2 at 6pm at the Civic Center.  I hope all members can make it to the meeting as we will be voting in our new officers and directors, along with approving by-law changes.

Your annual dues are due in January.  Remember, we have a variety of ways you can join so check that out.  The dues’ structure can be found on our Membership page.

We are already starting to work on Riverfest 2026 and would love to have you become involved in both the planning and production of Riverfest.  We are applying to have a military band and flyover to celebrate our country’s 250th anniversary and the city’s 125th.  our Riverfest Facebook and Foundation pages are in the process of being updated so be sure and follow them and share with your friends and acquaintances.

Riverfest 2025, while successful, did not raise as much money as anticipated.  We are happy with the results of changes that were made, such as new activities and new venues for classic activities.  A new shuttle bus route between the parks was a great addition and will be expanded next year to make getting from one side of the park to the other easier for all residents that need assistance with mobility.

River Reach Foundation Annual Meeting

October 2, 2025
6:00 pm
Farmington Civic Center

All members of the River Reach Foundation along with anyone interested in joining the Foundation or just learning more about it are encouraged to attend.

Voting on the 2026 directors’ and officers’ positions will take place at this meeting.

The slate for officer positions are as follows:

• Directors – 3-year terms:
  • Director: Cody Dudgeon
  • Director: Evan Noel
  • Director: Earleen Dudley
  • Other directors have additional years before expiring
• Officers – 1-year term:
  • Vice President: Gary Hanson
  • Treasurer: Evan Noel
  • Secretary: OPEN
  • President: D’Ann Waters has one more year

Annual Dues Reminder
Annual dues are now due.  Please join to make your payment before January 1st, either by mailing your payment or be visiting our Membership page to pay online.  Please visit our Membership page to see the dues structure.

Other News

RIVERFEST 2026

Mark your calendars and plan to attend a fun-filled Riverfest from May 22nd through May 24th, 2026!

It may be just the end of September, but the Riverfest committee is already hard at work, coming up with a theme that will reflect our country’s 250th anniversary along with our city’s 125th anniversary.  Hopefully we will also be able to secure a military band along with an Air Force flyover.  We welcome theme suggestions from the community – please email us at river.reach.foundation@outlook.com

The Joe Tohonnie, Jr. White Mountain Apache Dancers were moved to the Animas Park rocky Reach Landing in 2025, and will be there next year too.  We are working with Red Apple Transit on a bus to take people from the Red Barn in Animas Park to the bridge at Willits Ditch, right next to Rocky Reach Landing.

2026 RIVER REACH FOUNDATION EVENTS & PROJECTS

The River Reach Foundation has scheduled several new projects for this year.  Some of our projects are the same as in the past – such as trail clean-up and maintenance.  The Foundation plans to hold at least two park and trail clean-up events along with wrapping our threes with wire again to prevent beaver damage.  We will again focus on the removal of dangerous concrete debris and old tires in both the Animas and San Juan rivers during these events.  Our Animas River Jam has been cancelled for 2025, but we hope to bring it back in Spring 2026 with the possibility of working with the Animas River Surfers to educate and train people on surfing the new river wave at the Museum.

Project Update:  Cottonwood Landing Improvements
Our latest project is the installation of three permanent shade structures at Cottonwood Landing – two larger structures and one smaller one.  These additions will make the area a more versatile and comfortable venue for the community to enjoy a wide variety of events.  Installation is expected to be completed by the end of December 2025.

Upcoming Events – Save the Dates!

• The 2nd annual Fishing Derby will be held on October 18th at the Veterans Memorial Park and Cottonwood Landing.  Fishing licenses are required as this is not a free fishing weekend.
• Riverglo will take place December 5th at Berg Park on the River Reach Terrace.
• Riverfest 2026 takes place May 22nd – May 24th.  Ideas for the theme are welcomed and volunteers are needed both for the planning and the event itself.  Meetings will be held the third Tuesday of every month starting in October at 6pm at the Civic Center.
• Trail clean-ups will be held in the spring and fall as well as the tree-wrapping – dates to be announced.

Getting to Know our Board Members

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