Dog River Scenic Blueway Partnership Notes
The Dog River Scenic Blueway promotes stewardship of the Dog
River Watershed, encourages cultural and historical awareness, and provides
recreational opportunities for paddling enthusiasts and recreational boaters in
Mobile’s urban river and its tributaries.
National Park Service
| Liz Smith-Incer with the National Park Service Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance team began working with the Dog River Clearwater Revival to develop a partnership.
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Dog River Scenic Blueway Partnership | The Partnership has met monthly since March of 2010 going over the river inch by inch looking for launch sites, park sites, and marker sites. Now they will pull all this together into a 5 year plan to develop the Scenic Blueway.
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Proposed Minimum Criteria for Blueway Launch Sites
After good discussion related to criteria for launch sites
folks agreed that site design may vary from site to site according to the
existing conditions. In many
cases, it may be best to simply use a concrete ramp. The following, from “Logical Lasting Launches, 2004” might be
used as guidelines, but in no way limit launch design:
Height above water: no higher than the height of paddle lying across kayak
Width: At least 5' wide, preferably 6' to 12'
Length: At least 25' to allow paddlers “dry” access to entire length of their boats
Slope: ADA Accessibility Guidelines require that slopes not exceed 8.33% whenever possible; A slope exceeding 15% will make transition from land to water difficult for any paddler
Support: Handrails or other support structures, including step-down designs or ropes, help paddlers balance their weight during put-in and take-out
Location: Ideally in areas without heavy flow, erosion, exposure to elements, heavy boat traffic, or fragile riparian habitats
A launch that is “best-suited”:
· Is constructed in accordance with any applicable regulations
· Provides safe access, away from potential river hazards, especially at different flow level
· Can withstand flow levels, currents, and exposure to elements at a particular site
· Accommodates paddlers in varying water depths
· Provides a firm surface for launching, despite changes in sedimentation levels
· Will not be easily damaged due to climatic or seasonal conditions
· Does not cause damage to riparian habitats or vegetation during its construction and is unlikely to have environmental impacts over time and through usage
· Is not constructed in an area vulnerable to erosion
· Is constructed with consideration to its intended uses and frequency of use
Height above water: no higher than the height of paddle lying across kayak
Width: At least 5' wide, preferably 6' to 12'
Length: At least 25' to allow paddlers “dry” access to entire length of their boats
Slope: ADA Accessibility Guidelines require that slopes not exceed 8.33% whenever possible; A slope exceeding 15% will make transition from land to water difficult for any paddler
Support: Handrails or other support structures, including step-down designs or ropes, help paddlers balance their weight during put-in and take-out
Location: Ideally in areas without heavy flow, erosion, exposure to elements, heavy boat traffic, or fragile riparian habitats
A launch that is “best-suited”:
· Is constructed in accordance with any applicable regulations
· Provides safe access, away from potential river hazards, especially at different flow level
· Can withstand flow levels, currents, and exposure to elements at a particular site
· Accommodates paddlers in varying water depths
· Provides a firm surface for launching, despite changes in sedimentation levels
· Will not be easily damaged due to climatic or seasonal conditions
· Does not cause damage to riparian habitats or vegetation during its construction and is unlikely to have environmental impacts over time and through usage
· Is not constructed in an area vulnerable to erosion
· Is constructed with consideration to its intended uses and frequency of use
