Sometimes, a supermodel is discovered in an accidental way. She is eating with her family at the hometown fast-food joint when a talent scout sees her from across the room and soon the girl is on her way to the fashion runways in Milan. The 400-acre Spokane River Gorge is a super beauty. But the river’s been so much a part of hometown life that it’s sometimes taken for granted here.

The Great Spokane River Gorge master plan sees the beauty and dreams of the future. The plan outlines 15 projects that would bring the people to the river in ways unimagined before. For instance, convention-goers of the near future might desire a whitewater rafting experience during a free afternoon in Spokane. So they call up a rafting outfitter who picks them up at their hotel and drives five minutes into Peaceful Valley where they launch into the river and float down it for four hours. Then they are picked up by the outfitters and returned to their hotel in time for dinner.

The master plan allows the imagination to roam. It features scenic river overlooks, trails at river’s edge, a Tribal Cultural Center, a whitewater kayaking park and an extreme makeover for High Bridge Park. It could take years to realize all the components of the plan. But the master plan is a giant step forward into the future. And an example of civic work at its best.

It builds on history and tradition. The river gorge was a sacred fishing and meeting grounds for the ancient Indian tribes. In 1908, the Olmsted Brothers Landscape Architecture proposed that the city preserve as green space the land along the river.

In the decades since, other visionaries acted on the Olmsted Brothers’ vision. Acres of land along the river’s banks were preserved as green space. Expo ‘74 reclaimed Spokane Falls, and the Centennial Trail opened up the river’s beauty to walkers and bikers.

The master plan came about through collaboration. Friends of the Falls took the lead pulling together groups with differing ties to the river. Then, with grants from several different sources, interested folks from government, business, economic development, the Indian tribes and outdoor recreation groups worked together to collect facts and feedback. More than 100 citizens also articulated their visions for the river gorge.

The master plan does not gloss over the difficulties in realizing a vision of this magnitude. The river is already under stress due to wastewater treatment and other discharges. The plan will mean even more people will interact with it.

Though the plan potentially generates economic development and growth, it needs a variety of funding sources to meet its multimillion-dollar price tag. It will require lots of community support, and money, to move forward now.

Nearly 100 years ago, the Olmsted Brothers marveled at the rare beauty of a river running through the heart of a city. The challenge for the next 100 years is figuring out how to share the river gorge’s beauty with multitudes of people without destroying its unique beauty in the process. This is a civic responsibility. With the master plan, it is off to a good and promising start.