Brunswick, Md. (November 15, 2010) — The newly re-designed Brunswick boating facility is now open to anglers and boaters on the Potomac River, thanks in part to a grant from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Waterway Improvement Fund. The Brunswick facility, owned by the National Park Service, is located in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park in Frederick County.
“The improvements to this facility will greatly enhance the boating experience on the Potomac River for the boating public for years to come,” said Bob Gaudette, DNR’s Boating Services Director.
An access road, comfort station and parking lot were added, and a new bio-retention and stormwater management systems was created to help clean rain water and snow-melt before it is released into the river. DNR’s Waterway Improvement Fund provided $112,500 toward the total $310,397 cost of the project, with the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service providing the remainder.
The project added a safer, paved road and parking lot, ADA-compliant comfort stations and an information kiosk for visitors. These additions will greatly improve parking and access problems from the past and do away with gaping pot holes and muddy conditions.
“Guard rails and a bio-retention area were installed, making this one of the ‘greenest’ boat ramps on the Potomac,” said Park Superintendent Kevin D. Brandt. “Park visitors have been thrilled with these improvements and have gone out of their way to let park rangers know how pleased they are. Were it not for the long-standing state-federal partnership, this project could not have been accomplished.”
The Waterway Improvement Fund is funded by a five percent excise tax boaters pay when registering a boat in Maryland. To learn more about the fund, visit http://www.dnr.state.md.us/boating/grants.asp.