West Virginia Bill Would Improve River Access At Bridges
A new bill in the West Virginia legislature aims to ensure public access to the state’s rivers and streams for recreational purposes. Specifically, the proposed West Virginia Public Waterway Access Act would require river access be provided as part of bridge construction or substantial repairs if it is safe and practical to do so. The result of this bill would be a gradual improvement to river access throughout the state over many years to come, increasing safety for both paddlers and drivers, and ensuring the economic and health benefits of river recreation will be a secure part of West Virginia’s future. We make it simple for West Virginia residents to reach out to their state senator and support this bill, SB 425 using our easy-action form.
Bridge work almost always requires an equipment staging area, and access to the base of the bridge for equipment. Often, providing river access after construction requires little more than leaving these hardened areas in place and placing guard rails in a manner that allows for parking. Here at American Whitewater we’ve seen many important and informal bridge access sites eliminated by guard rail placement or other actions because river access was not part of the project goals or design. This bill would help avoid such losses, and instead bake consideration of river access into project designs. This would be, over time, nothing short of game changing.
With this bill, West Virginia would join other states like Washington, Virginia, and North Carolina that have a formal process for improving access to rivers during bridge construction and repair projects. Special thanks to Senator Woodrum and Deeds for introducing this excellent piece of legislation. We encourage paddlers that live in West Virginia to reach out to your state legislators and voice your support for SB 425, the West Virginia Public Waterway Access Act, and share where you live, what you do for a living, and why river access is important to you and your community.