Achieving Access Along The Potomac River

New boat launch in Maryland is a “game-changer” 

By Erin Pant and Bob Green

Visit Seneca Landing Special Park on any weekend—or most weekdays for that matter—and you are sure to encounter a crowd. The park, located in Poolesville, Md., adjacent to Lock 24 on the historic C&O Canal, is a draw for birders, bikers, history buffs, and boaters. It serves as one of the busiest entry points to the Potomac River. However, until recently, this amenity wasn’t easily accessible for all. 

Photo: Montgomery Parks

Identifying An Obstacle  

For years, Team River Runner, a national, non-profit organization that provides adventure and adaptive paddle sports to veterans and their families, has hosted a kayak program at the park. The program provides patients from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, as well as veterans from the community, an opportunity to experience the social, physical, and emotional benefits of nature. According to the organization, time spent on the water offers a “river to recovery,” allowing veterans to find health, healing, community, purpose, and new challenges. While the program was very popular, the group faced one unintended challenge: difficulty reaching the water. Kayakers shared the long, pavement ramp down to the water with motorized boats, which presented safety issues.

“When I first saw how I needed to get into the water, to be honest, I was scared,” said U.S. Navy veteran Rob Hunter. “On a nice day, with so many boats sharing the ramp and backing in and out, it was dicey.” 

For Hunter, getting into the water usually required assistance from a second person, and could take up to 25 minutes. 

Members of Team River Runner shared their experience with the Montgomery County Commission on Veterans Affairs, which in turn, brought the project to Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission. Parks staff members agreed to move forward and quickly began planning for an accessible boat launch.

Getting Started

From the onset, this project required collaboration and communication among many groups, due to the unique nature of the site. The accessible, floating boat launch was constructed on land within Montgomery Parks’ jurisdiction, into Seneca Creek, a state-controlled navigable river that flows into the Potomac River. A stone’s throw away sits Lock 24 (known as Riley’s Lock) and the Seneca Aqueduct, part of the C&O Canal National Historic Park. Riley’s Lock Road, a county-designated, rustic road, runs parallel to the site.  

While Montgomery Parks had floating launches in operation on its lakes, this would be the agency’s first, fully accessible launch and the first on a river or stream. Parks staff members worked closely with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to analyze the site and perform preliminary assessments, feasibility, and cost studies. Once the concept and scope were approved, the project was included in the agency’s Capital Improvement Program. Additional surveys were performed, permitting requirements were identified, and preliminary designs were finalized. 

The boat-launch area would include a 13-by-30-foot floating dock, a transfer bench, an attached 36-foot, dry kayak/canoe launch with rails, and a 30-foot gangway. The transfer bench has a sliding seat to assist boaters from the dock into the launch. The floating dock is held in place by two, stiff arms anchored into the concrete footings outside the streambank. The project also included a drop-off area for kayaks and canoes, accessible parking with connected walkways, and a fully accessible picnic area. 

Next, Montgomery Parks obtained a Joint Application Permit (JPA) from the state of Maryland. There was a need for multiple permits, due to the project’s location on a navigable river, and within a flood plain and a historic area. The JPA process took approximately six months. 

Parks staff members chose a design/build procurement process, in which a contractor is responsible for the consulting, design, permitting, and construction. Negotiations with the bidder and changes in scope were required before a final contract document was approved. The design/build procurement process proved valuable in maintaining control of the project schedule.

Before getting to work, the team had to create a schedule that would accommodate two key factors. First, the creek was bound to a state-mandated, stream-closure period from March to June when construction activities are prohibited within the stream itself. Second, due to concerns about public safety, and to minimize disruption, the team wanted to avoid construction during the summer when the park experiences peak usage.

With the notice to proceed issued on August 1, 2019, design and permitting were expedited so construction within the water could begin and be completed before March 2020. Additional work outside the water, including installation of an accessible picnic area with tables and grills, parking-lot improvements, and construction of an accessible ramp down to the launch continued beyond March.  

Photo: Betsy Luecking

 Adapting Along The Way 

During the project, the team encountered several challenges. When final assessments were being completed, right before construction was about to begin, the team observed the water-level fluctuations of four to five feet were much greater than had been observed previously. This created a need to make design changes, including increasing the gangway length from 18 feet to 30 feet, and shifting the abutment farther from the road.

Once construction was underway, another design adaptation was necessary when it was determined the underlying soils were softer and wetter than anticipated, based on information provided in the soil borings. This required additional undercutting and enlargement of the footing for the stiff arms, abutment, and pavement structure. 

Due to the stream fluctuations, it became necessary to cut the stream bank to allow for the gangway to be raised and lowered with the water levels. This created an issue with possible debris and sediment deposition under the gangway itself but was resolved with a concrete flume, which would help self-clean under the gangway.

Additionally, staff observed that, during larger storm events, floating debris from trees would be a problem.

Consequently, an integrated debris-deflector was added to the launch to help mitigate the problem. 

Finally, near the end of construction, a sudden storm caused a large tree to fall upstream from the launch area, which hit the debris-deflector, passed under the launch itself, and dislodged it. The team then created an additional cabling system to ensure the launch would remain in place.

A Universal Win  

Installation of the fully accessible boat-launch project was completed in June 2020. The final project cost was $550,000. 

“The new launch is phenomenal,” says Hunter. “I can now be in the water in five minutes, and I can launch independently, anytime, without reservation.”

Since the installation, parks staff members have received an outpouring of positive feedback from the community. The boat launch has proven to be a universal win, becoming extremely popular for all to enjoy. Team River Runner intends to promote this launch as an “Adaptive Paddling Center of Excellence,” a model for the nation.

“Having a safe and totally accessible launch for paddle craft is a game changer,” says Joe Mornini, Executive Director of Team River Runner. “An all-inclusive site for those with physical challenges grants equal accessibility and affords all the opportunity to find health, healing, and social connections on the beautiful waters of Seneca Creek and the Potomac River.”

When you visit the park today, alongside the birders, bikers, and history buffs, you are now likely to encounter individuals who have traveled to the park, sometimes from quite a distance, specifically for the accessible boat launch.

Photo: Betsy Luecking

Lessons Learned  

1.     Do the homework. Staff members conducted thorough research ahead of time related to the complexities of the site, and received valuable education and guidance from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. 

2.     Allow for extra time. Like so many projects, issues are bound to arise that will take longer than anticipated. In this case, those included complex permitting needs and seasonal construction windows. 

3.     Listen to user groups. They can provide practical advice and knowledge of the park and its issues based upon their own experiences. 

4.     Build the right team. This project benefited from a knowledgeable, flexible, and proactive contractor, as well as a staff construction manager with historical knowledge of the work area that proved invaluable.  

5.     Remain nimble. Be ready to adapt to challenges that arise that may lead to redesigns of the project. 

Erin Pant is the Public Relations & Outreach Specialist for Montgomery Parks. Reach her at erin.pant@montgomeryparks.org.

 
Bob Green is the Senior ADA Project Manager for Montgomery Parks. Reach him at Bob.Green@montgomeryparks.org.