Notes on Water Heritage Trail

Notes on Water Heritage Trail Trail Site and Infrastructure (mini-trail) Possibilities

POINTE COUPEE PARISH: There is a landowner interested in making available for public use a section of land on False River that could offer paddling, hiking, biking and birding opportunities.

ASCENSION PARISH: Dennis Caruso owns the land on both sides of the point where Bayou Fountain meets with Bayou Manchac and is interested in opening it up for public use.

ASSUMPTION PARISH: There is a group looking into grant opportunities to complete a partial trail and park on Hwy. 70 between Belle River and the Basin levee.

ASCENSION & OTHER PARISH PADDLING DISCUSSIONS AND POSSIBILITIES

Ascension Parish Parks, Mike Mohler. Will Ascension submit an application for planning help with 1. A floating paddle launch on the 4 adjacent vacant lots on Camp Drive? 2. Recreation trails in Bluff Swamp? 3. A floating paddle camp-site at the State-owned river-access only property on the Amite River? 4. A floating paddle camp-site at the Pontchartrain Levee District-owned river-access only property on the Amite River? 5. A waterfront marker at the Historic Galveztown Site (Revolutionary War - started the Battle of Baton Rouge). BREC/EBR, Ted Jack. Will BREC submit an application for planning help with 1. A floating Paddle Launch at Airline Park? 2. A floating Paddle Launch at Manchac Park? 3. A floating Paddle Launch at Highland Rd. Park? 4. A floating Paddle Launch at the Ward Creek Bike Trail? 5. A floating paddle camp-site at Kendalwood Park? 6. Bike Trailhead at Farr Park? 7. Bike Trailhead at the Downtown Levee? Still need to meet with Iberville Parish, Alligator Bayou Tours, and the Pontchartrain Levee District. From what I understand, Iberville Parish may have access, but Alligator Bayou Tours has the parking and possible room for a trailhead. From a brief discussion, Alligator Bayou Tours seems receptive to the concept. Should the Alligator Bayou Tours location fall-through, an alternative would be to bring the trail up Ward Creek to connect to the BREC Bike Path Project and the BR Riverfront, but this would bypass Iberville Parish entirely. 1. Nature Trails in Spanish Lake Swamp (Natural Resource Professionals) 2. Paddle trailhead at Alligator Bayou (Alligator Bayou Tours/ Iberville Parish) 3. Bike Trailhead at Alligator Bayou (Alligator Bayou Tours) 4. Bike Path Servitude acquisition along Alligator Bayou Rd/Bayou Paul Rd. Residents along that ~9 mile rd seem to share a common concern. Bicycle traffic often overwhelms the road and there is not enough room for vehicles to pass. There is no public servitude to extend a roadside bike path and they seem open to selling a servitude. (Iberville Parish) 5. Bike Path connection to the Mississippi River Levee Trail. 6. A paddle-friendly lock at Alligator Bayou. The Pontchartrain Levee District is working to add a second identical lock at Alligator Bayou. We'd like to investigate alternate designs that would minimize velocity and improve paddle safety on both sides of the lock, with the possibility of a paddle-through feature. There are grants available for re- establishing fish migration routes that could help pay for a re-design of the second lock. (Iberville Parish/Pontchartrain Levee Board) 7. Amanda Anderson Grace Park Bike Trailhead (Iberville Parish) 8. St. Gabriel Parish Community Center Trailhead to the bike path. (Iberville Parish) 9. St. Gabriel Parish Community Center Trailhead to the Swamp Trails. (Iberville Parish/Natural Resource Professionals) Similarly, we would like to see grant apps submitted for all of the other Parishes along the trail, but that's where we need help with coordination.

Livingston 1. A floating paddle camp-site at the State-owned river-access only property on the Amite River? 2. Floating paddle camp-sites in the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area? 3. A waterfront marker at the Historic King George's Island Site West Feliciana 1. Bicycle Trailhead Point Coupee 1. Bicycle Trailhead Tangipahoa 1. Floating paddle camp-sites in the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Management Area? 2. A floating paddle camp-site or improved handicap paddle launch at Tickfaw State Park? St Tammany 1. A floating paddle camp-site or improved handicap paddle launch at Fairview State Park? 2. A handicap paddle launch at the Mandiville Lakefront Park? 3. A floating paddle camp-site or improved handicap paddle launch at Fountainbleau State Park? 4. Floating paddle camp-sites in the St Tammany Wildlife Refuge? 5. Floating paddle camp-sites in the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge? 6. A handicap paddle launch at the Bayou Lacombe Park? 7. Floating paddle camp-sites in the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area? 8. A handicap paddle launch at the Tchefuncte Rest Area? 9. A handicap paddle launch at the Bogue Falya Park? 10. Connecting trailhead and handicap paddle launch at the Tammany Trace bridge over the Bogue Falya River? 11. Floating paddle camp-sites in the Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge?

If successful, in the future we could complete the circle around New Orleans with the Miss River Bike Trail along Bienville's route. This circular path defines the Isle of Orleans.

BARTRAM TRAIL

There is a group working on designating sites as part of the Bartram Trail. Contact for this is Randy Harelson

225-240-3421 [email protected] http://www.bartramtrail.org/pages/Bartram_Trail/bt_trail.html