COLUMBUS, OH -- The Ohio Coastal Management Program is working to enhance public access to Lake Erie and improve recreational opportunities along the lake's 262-mile shoreline, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), which oversees the program.
In waterfront cities and villages like Port Clinton, Huron, Toledo, Ashtabula and Put-in-Bay, the Ohio Coastal Management Program is helping improve facilities while fostering strategies designed to draw visitors to the lake for business, fun and relaxation.
At Put-in-Bay on South Bass Island, where ice fishing is the number one wintertime activity, crumbling public ramps designed for moving vehicles and "shanties" on and off the ice jeopardized the safety and convenience of anglers and guides. Fifty thousand dollars in grants from OCMP in 1999 and 2000 provided much-needed rehabilitation, according to Monica Drake of the Put-in-Bay Port Authority.
We looked at various funding sources and Coastal Management provided the only grant that fit our need since the ramp involved fishing but not boating, Drake said.
The new ramp, located on the west side of the island, is 40 feet long with guardrails for added safety. Drake added that so many anglers took advantage of the improved facility last winter that they wore a visible path in the ice from the ramp to the shanty "villages" that dotted the lake.
In 1988, the Ohio General Assembly unanimously passed the Ohio Coastal Management Act and designated ODNR to implement its many provisions. In the mid-1990s, the Ohio Coastal Management Program became one of 34 state and territorial programs approved to receive funding under the federal Healthy Coast Act, passed in 1995. Through its participation, Ohio receives approximately $2,000,000 each year from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration to help improve lake access; relieve nonpoint pollution in tributary streams; preserve coastal wetlands; upgrade coastal neighborhoods; and protect historic shipwrecks and underwater preserves.
The Ohio Coastal Management Program's emphasis on local participation over national input has made the program popular among many of Ohio's Lake Erie communities and organizations.
PORT CLINTON WATERWORKS PARK TRAIL
In Port Clinton, a $25,000 Coastal Management Grant enabled city leaders to plan a multi-purpose recreational trail along the city's downtown waterfront, according to Mayor Tom Brown.
The completed Waterworks Park Trail runs about a half mile northwest along North Perry Street and is a key element of the city's long-term plan to restore and enhance its waterfront district. The 10-foot wide asphalt trail, constructed in 1998, borders a picturesque wetland and offers views of Lake Erie to hikers and bikers who follow its path. Mayor Brown said the trail is heavily used and has proven to be a "wonderful recreational asset" to the city.
HURON WATERFRONT WALKWAY
A similar recreational trail is under construction along the shoreline in the City of Huron. In 1998, Huron received a $35,000 Coastal Management grant to plan a recreational walkway from the lighthouse on Lake Erie to the municipal marina on the Huron River and around the downtown area. The goal of the project was to spur redevelopment along the river, attract new businesses and create new waterfront vistas, according to Gary Packan, director of parks and recreation for Huron. As in Port Clinton, it is hoped that Huron's Waterfront Walkway will play a leading role in efforts to revitalize the city's lakefront neighborhood, enticing people and businesses to the urban shoreline.
TOLEDO'S "SWAN CREEK EXPLORER"
In downtown Toledo, residents and visitors are discovering first-hand the historic and ecological features of Swan Creek, a tributary of the Maumee River, thanks to a $70,000 Coastal Management grant. The grant, dating from 1998, partially funded purchase of the "Swan Creek Explorer" and construction of the boat's docking facility. The city conducts narrated tours with the boat every Saturday between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The 34-foot commercial grade pontoon boat seats up to 25 people as the tour takes them for a 55-minute ride up Swan Creek and then to the confluence of the Maumee River.
The "Swan Creek Explorer" is one element of an overall Riverwalk plan that links Toledo's urban attractions and provides access to the Maumee River waterfront and the river's tributary streams.
We really wanted people to get up close where they could view the creek, said Steve Day, the city's chief landscape architect.
Tours on the "Swan Creek Explorer" were so well attended this year that the city extended the boat's season through September.
ASHTABULA'S WALNUT BEACH BOARDWALK
Ashtabula's popular Walnut Beach is a Mecca for sunbathers, swimmers and wildlife watchers. But the seven acres of sand were difficult to walk and offered no handicap access, according to Ashtabula Safety-Services Director Donnie Peet.
In 1998, Ashtabula received a $15,400 Coastal Management grant to begin construction of boardwalks across the beach and its adjoining nature viewing area. Two boardwalks, each 300 to 400 feet long with wheelchair turnarounds, were finished that year. The walkways, made of environmentally friendly recycled plastic lumber, traverse the beach and connect the parking lot with the concession stand and pavilion.
A trail extension from the boardwalk winds through an adjoining wooded area where the city obtained easements and erected two platforms for bird watchers and a 23-foot bridge.
People really like the boardwalk, Peet said. Now a number of handicapped people are able to use the beach.
For more information on the Ohio Coastal Management Program call 419-626-7986.