River recreation opportunities expand along the Kiski River in Leechburg
It just got a lot easier to float your boat in Leechburg.
A public recreational project several years in the making was completed Saturday.
The Leechburg primitive gravel boat launch in Riverfront Park is a packed-gravel road with an adjacent parking lot designed for nonmotorized boats, specifically kayaks and canoes.
The project was spearheaded by the late Mayor Wayne Dobos in 2015.
He initially raised nearly $2,000 in donations to kick-start the project.
“It exceeds our expectations of what we thought we could pull off here,” said launch volunteer and Leechburg resident Larry Boehm. “I don’t think this would have ever been done if it wasn’t for Wayne Dobos. He really got it going.”
The free launch allows canoeists and kayakers an 8-foot-wide access point for recreation on the Kiski River.
Several eateries, a grocery store and other shops are a short walk from the launch.
“It’s a great way to get kayakers into Leechburg,” Mayor Tony Roppolo said.
The boat launch is inside Leechburg’s largest park and offers scenic views of the river. The park features a large, recently renovated gazebo for rental and multiple picnic tables, benches and a walking trail.
“The launch will be great for Leechburg and will be another way to have availability to Leechburg. It’s the beginnings of breathing new life and expanding our little town,” Councilwoman Doreen Smeal said. “What our past Mayor Wayne Dobos, Leechburg Council and the Leechburg Area Community Development Corporation have done is remarkable.”
The total cost of the project was about $10,500, paid for through donations from businesses and individuals, along with a pair of $4,000 grants from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and the Armstrong Conservation District, both held by the Kiski Watershed Association.
Members of the Kiski Watershed Association attended the official opening Saturday, offering thanks for assistance with the project to Martha and Kerry Frech of Streamline Engineering, Leechburg Council President Tom Foster, members of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, Kris Kulick of Boulder Excavating in Gilpin and others.
Gilpin resident and KWA member Chazz Minnich said he plans to use the launch as soon as possible.
“As soon as the weather and my schedule permits. I think it’s a fantastic addition to the recreational resources in our community,” Minnich said.
“We are so lucky to live where we live and have the ability to get in and out of the river,” said Leechburg resident and avid kayaker/angler Angelique Senko. “It’s a wonderful opportunity not only for Leechburg, but to give people access to the amazing Kiski River.”
Roppolo praised the teamwork of numerous volunteers involved.
“Boulder Construction did a beautiful job for us. I can’t give them enough credit. They were working by hand on the parking lot and the launch,” Roppolo said.
Leechburg historian and volunteer Larry Boehm served as lead organizer for the project.
The parking lot accommodates about six cars.
“It’s the jewel of the Alle-Kiski Valley,” Roppolo said. “I’m so thrilled with this project.”
Boehm said final plans for the project include additional landscaping, cleanup and signage.
“For now, it’s just the Leechburg primitive boat launch, but some folks would like to have it named after Wayne Dobos,” Boehm said.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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