Erosion is one of the major environmental concerns impacting the Trail and adjacent shoreline. Based on The Trail Conservancy’s Urban Forestry and Natural Area Management Guidelines, formalized water access has been identified as a fundamental strategy in preventing off-Trail recreation traffic leading to soil compaction, destroyed vegetation and habitat loss. These water access areas funnel Trail users to the Lake edge at specific points and limit trampling of sensitive native areas. In 2016, the Longhorn Point water access area was a pilot project constructed with these basic principles in mind. The shoreline was reinforced and heavily planted in both wetland and upland areas to provide users with a less impactful connection to the water. The Trail Conservancy currently maintains the water access and surrounding landscape.