Boating Access: need Your Input

[DeBo]

i have been contacted by a group called the State Organization for Boating Access. This group is wanting to pull together information for a publication on what people in the world of non-motorized boats want at access points (i.e. ramp, slide, parking, etc.).

Non motorized craft are becoming more popular and we have now been noticed. It's kind of nice to know that there is a National organization interested in access.

I know that a lot of us have thought nothing of just throwing a boat over a railing but consider that we might not always be able to do that and think about what you might want at your river access.

Looking forward to some good ideas.

[okieboater]

I like the concept of low cost low maintenance access for hand carried water craft.

Does not need to be fancy. Ocoee middle access is a good example of just ideal facilities. Big paved parking for trailers, oversize ramp to the river, nice clean toilets etc. This is an ideal example but in this day and age of low budgets for recreational facilities, probably not gonna happen again.

Mostly I want a good parking space and solid access to the river. It is really nice if law officers can drive by often just to show the presence.

I just posted about the Mulberry's Cemetery river access.

In my mind, that is pretty much ideal river access point.

A nice graveled parking area
solid steps down to the river
not a hi dollar power boat ramp just pretty simple steps or a path.
A latrine is nice but probably just that, when the maintenance is figured in adds a bunch to the cost.

I would not have tables and shelters etc just parking and river access to carry boats to and from the water.

[we66erno1]

Some kind of object made specifically so you could lock a boat to. That is something that is super cheap that could be made. And it's also something you never see at put in or take out.

[Jim Krueger]

Debo,

Thanks for relaying this Boater Access Group's request for information! I think the other posters thus far have nailed it down pretty good, a well thought-out plan can use fairly low tech materials and features, and yield a really useful access to hand launch and retrieve all the types of craft we use.
The one feature I'd like to emphasize would be aftercare, continued maintenance to keep things squared-away. As an example; the river take-out at Dragover on the Upper Ouachita River served us very well for years. The parking area/turning around area could have been a bit larger but overall a good access for a long time. However since the NFS relinquished the maintenance duties to the county ten years ago, the once crushed rock drive and ramp have become covered feet deep in sand from floods, it can be a real mud pit now... Just a little maintenance every now and then as needed should always be a part of the overall plan for any access.


Best Regards
Jim

[fzburk]

A group did a similar study and recommendations for the Wolf River this year.

The dropbox location for the finished report is:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ophujpcxpi2q7 ... n=57753860" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I attended a few of the meetings in Memphis. The final was a little different that what some expected, but the rest is about funding to do the suggested improvements.

Mark

[DeBo]

Thanks everybody. This is helpful. AGFC is partnered with this group, so a lot of things can be funded through them. In connection with our water trails, we have been looking at some access points that would be non motorized only. I am also thinking about our land on Cadron Creek with the steep bank by the bridge. In places like that we would want adequate parking at the top with steps and maybe a railing to slide boats down and a landing at the bottom.