Kayak and canoe enthusiasts in the Upvalley will be able to paddle down a normally hard-to-access stretch of the Lackawanna River beginning this fall using a new boat launch planned for Carbondale.
The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority plans to build a Lackawanna River access point this year in Carbondale at the Greater Carbondale YMCA’s park, opening up a 4-mile stretch of the river between Carbondale and Mayfield, said Owen Worozbyt, director of operations at the LHVA.
“This will be about a 4-mile stretch along the upper waters of the Lackawanna River, which many people have never even had the opportunity to be on because there’s not a whole lot of public accesses,” Worozbyt said, adding that the access point will also serve as a platform for fishing and wildlife viewing.
The river access will be built just past the pedestrian bridge connecting John Street to the YMCA park, Worozbyt said. If all goes to plan, a contractor will be ready in August, and the LHVA anticipates wrapping up work in the fall, he said.
The project will install a concrete pathway down to the confluence of Racket Brook and Lackawanna River, along with benches and picnic tables, Worozbyt said.
The LHVA is accepting bids until Aug. 7 at 2 p.m. for contractors to build the ramp. Crews already removed some trees in May to make way for the project, Worozbyt said, explaining they had to clear the trees early due to regulations regarding an endangered species of bat.
Once the ramp is complete, nonmotorized boat users will travel almost exactly 4 miles down the Lackawanna River to a take-out point in Mayfield at the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail’s Chestnut Street Trailhead, Worozbyt said. A contractor finished the Mayfield river access point in July.
The LHVA will strongly encourage boaters to exit the river at the Mayfield take-out point because it is just upstream from a small concrete dam near Mayfield’s Poplar Street bridge.
Worozbyt said the LHVA wanted to build the river accesses in Carbondale and Mayfield because there are very few ways to physically access the Lackawanna River in the Upvalley.
“A lot of it is either channelized or it’s all private property and you don’t have access to it,” he said. “You can put in in Carbondale, float down and get out in Mayfield and get to experience the Upper Valley in a way that most people have never had the opportunity.”
Having canoed that portion of the river himself, Worozbyt said it provides a whole different perspective of the city. While it’s still an urban environment, there’s also a lot of wildlife along the river, Worozbyt said.
“Carbondale is a very old, old town for Northeast Pa. standards, so there’s a lot of laid-up stone walls that you can’t see otherwise,” he said. “It’s really neat to just be able to take in that whole view.”
The new boat launch comes as the LHVA works to increase river access in Lackawanna County, Worozbyt said. There are additional boat launches planned for Archbald and Dickson City, complementing Dickson City’s existing Riverfront Park boat launch, as well as boat launches in Scranton at the Parker Street Landing and at Sweeney’s Beach, he said.
Carbondale Mayor Michele Bannon praised the project, lauding the new perspective it’ll provide, the recreation and the connectivity it promotes between municipalities. She also believes the increased river access will benefit local businesses by bringing more people to Carbondale.
“One of our biggest goals is to reconnect our residents to the Lackawanna River,” Bannon said. “It shows our broader commitment to our residents because we’re trying to create sustainable development for tourism and quality-of-life improvements for residents.”
The LHVA plans to seek volunteers this fall to help clear some downed trees across the river between Carbondale and Mayfield, Worozbyt said.