Funds flowing in for Modesto boat launch along Tuolumne

It could be a lot easier for kayakers, canoeists and rafters to travel the length of Tuolumne River Regional Park because of two developments.

The California Division of Boating and Waterways is recommending the regional park be awarded a grant to build a boat launch in west Modesto. And Modesto and the Tuolumne River Trust are working on removing what remains of Dennett Dam, which is a hazard along the river that has resulted in several drownings in recent years and impedes kayaks and other watercraft.

“I think they are both key parts to moving (Tuolumne River Regional Park) forward and making it the destination that it should be,” said Modesto Parks Planning and Development Manager Nathan Houx, who also is the regional park’s administrator. “This is a pretty exciting project, and the removal of Dennett Dam gives us the opportunity to encourage boating on the river.”

Houx said he expects the regional park will be awarded the grant and the amount will be about $775,000. The boat launch is expected to cost $800,000, and the regional park will provide the balance of the project’s funding.

Modesto is the lead agency for the regional park, whose other members are Ceres and Stanislaus County. The more than 500-acre park follows the Tuolumne River for seven miles from the Mitchell Road to the Carpenter Road bridges.

The boat launch is proposed for Neece Drive across from John Thurman Field and will include parking and picnic areas. Modesto will administer the grant and oversee construction on behalf of the regional park. Houx said he expects it will take at least two years to build the boat launch, allowing time for permitting, design and construction. He expects to bring the grant agreement to the City Council for approval this fall.

Dennett Dam is near Modesto’s Ninth Street Bridge and was built in 1933 to create a lake. The dam washed out twice before the state condemned it in 1947.

Houx said Modesto is working with Tuolumne River Trust to remove what remains of the dam. He said the trust is responsible for the design work and raising money to pay for the project while Modesto is responsible for hiring a contractor and overseeing the dam’s removal.

Trust Executive Director Patrick Koepele said his organization has raised about $1 million and expects the dam to be removed next summer. He said this year’s high river flows made the work impractical and too expensive. “We’re thrilled that both of these projects are moving forward,” he said.

This story was originally published September 9, 2017 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Funds flowing in for Modesto boat launch along Tuolumne."