Community Leaders Re-Pursue Water Trail Recommendation
Armstrong County residents already know about their series of land trails, but a series of community leaders are hoping to establish a water trail during the summer months. The Armstrong Trail (seen here in downtown Kittanning) travels 52 miles along the former rail bed from Schenley to East Brady.
by Jonathan Weaver
While there are seven trails for hiking and biking throughout Armstrong County, more than a dozen officials met last night to discuss establishing a water trail.
Armstrong County Tourist Bureau Director Kevin Andrews defined the concept – first recommended during the Middle Allegheny River Conservation Plan developed by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council in November 2005.
“We’re not really building a trail – the river is the trail,” Andrews said. “We would be developing a map with access points – hazardous areas, locks, bike and pedestrian trails – and it would have the towns and various points of interest – such as libraries, restaurants and campgrounds/hotels – for anybody using the river to help them coming into town while using it for recreational purposes.”
Tourist Bureau Board Member Neil Andritz (owner of The Rivers Edge Canoe and Kayak, LLC) brought up the recommendations at a board meeting earlier this year.
Andritz was also part of the Steering Committee during the Armstrong County Comprehensive Recreation, Park, & Open Space & Greenways Plan on the concept in June 2009.
Other officials – such as Planning Division Director Sally Conklin, Pennsylvania Environment Council Trails Program Manager Frank Maguire and Ron Steffey of the Allegheny Valley Land Trust (who was also on the Steering Committee) contemplated last night in the Courthouse Administration Building establishing the water trail from Emlenton to Freeport
“Everybody there was definitely interested in the concept,” Andrews said.
Andritz said the water trail might also help with the Allegheny River Development Corporation’s efforts to reopen several locks for recreational boaters along the Allegheny River.
The water trail would be similar to the Allegheny River Water Trail (which runs from the ‘mouth’ of the Clarion River to the ‘mouth’ of Redbank Creek) and the Kiski River Water Trail (which travels approximately 86 miles through five counties and has access points and launch points in Freeport, Leechburg and Roaring Run Watershed Association’s access southeast of Apollo).
The 2009 plan was developed by Pashek Associates and financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program, Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund under administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The Armstrong Trail walking trail travels 52 miles along the former rail bed from Schenley to East Brady
Local News | jweaver April 30, 2015
By jorn jensen, April 30, 2015 @ 8:59 AM
This is a GREAT IDEA to promote tourism. With the locks open, and there’s big money in Pittsburgh - those folks could then travel upstream Allegheny River to an ‘inviting area’ with everything needed. A pizza shop can have delivery service to your boat, and so forth. People traveling in the bigger boats can stay on them for a week or more. Include the Kittanning bus runs in the water trail information - when they come to Kittanning, they have a choice to buy in town or they can get on a bus to get to other shopping to buy the things they forgot to pack.
Bring the money to Armstrong County.
Years ago, before the new bridge at Brady, we did a day round-trip by boat to Brady from Johnetta. The goal was to dock at the old hotel’s dock, eat there and buy gasoline, and then boat back. I think it was a 72 mile trip and we had a great time - we called it ‘A Three-Hour Tour’, but it was all day, a long day. Thing is, we knew about the hotel, their dock, and so forth by being ‘from the area’ - we had no tourism guide information. Bottom line - available information will promote such trips.