Editorial: Another step forward for river recreation?
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The idea of removing a section of a concrete river wall in order to improve access to Johnstown’s waterways sounds like it would mesh well with the renewed emphasis on outdoor recreation as an economic driver in this region.
The project was in the headlines again this past week when the Johnstown Redevelopment Authority learned it would get $300,000 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to study the idea.
JRA Executive Director Melissa Komar said a feasibility study “will determine the best location to implement a pilot project to possibly remove a section of the concrete wall.”
Sutor reported in August, when DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn visited Sandyvale Memorial Gardens & Conservancy in Hornerstown, that the Army Corps of Engineers and other entities were exploring the possibility of removing part of the river wall at that location.
Local officials and others connected to the idea have emphasized — and rightfully so — that the top priority is making sure any project wouldn’t increase flooding risks. The river walls have long protected Johnstown from the kind of damage that past floods have caused, and no recreation project is worth any increased risk.
As Komar said last week: “Under no circumstances can we implement any project that would worsen the potential for future flooding.”
“The most important thing to keep in mind is they will not do anything with the river walls that would increase any risk of flooding or the level of flooding that will occur,” local recreation consultant Brad Clemenson said at the time of Dunn’s visit.
“They’ve done hydrology studies. So rule No. 1 is it cannot be detrimental to flooding risks in Johnstown. But there are still locations where we believe we could take down some of the concrete channels and create a natural bank where we have better habitat and access to the river.”
City Manager Art Martynuska added: “We’d still control the flood issues, obviously. That’s paramount. But we could make issues for more user-friendly areas.”
The rivers that flow through the city have been a key part of the recent outdoor recreation push — from whitewater releases at the Quemahoning Reservoir to Coal Tubin’ excursions on the Stonycreek to improved fishing opportunities provided by the decades-long push to clean up acid mine drainage across regional watersheds.
Creating another place in or near the city where people can access the rivers — and making sure it’s done safely — would represent a key step forward for that work.
— Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown)