Kayak launches on Connoquenessing Creek draw water enthusiasts
The annual Connoquenessing Creek Cleanup has evolved into a new and unique recreational opportunity for county residents.
The Allegheny Aquatic Alliance, which has pulled more than 4,000 tires and 360,000 pounds of trash from Connoquenessing Creek over the years, has placed four canoe and kayak launches along the creek in Butler County and two in neighboring Beaver County.
Construction on a launch at the Kittanning Street bridge in Butler will begin in October.
Mike Handley, president of the alliance, said almost all of the launches include a picnic table and some have additional benches or a pavilion so non-boaters can enjoy a picnic or toss a ball into the creek for their dogs.
The launches themselves have stone steps down to the water that are set on a wide path that is maintained throughout each summer.
Receptacles for old fishing line, trash cans and signs that were custom-made by members of the alliance's board of directors are also in place at each launch.
Handley said bird, fish and turtle populations have tripled since the cleanups first began in 2011 and local sporting goods purveyors have reported that kayak sales also have tripled.
“That hits me close to my heart that nature is coming back and people are getting out to enjoy it,” Handley said Thursday.
Jack Cohen, president of the county Tourism and Convention Bureau, minces no words regarding the alliance members' unrelenting hard work in creating the boat launches along the banks of the “Connie.”
“It's one of the best things I've seen in 17 years (with the tourism bureau),” Cohen said. “Can you imagine getting people to learn to kayak and the clean waterway they've made?
“They're great people who do great things and we're lucky to have them in our back yard.”
The first launch built by the alliance was the Renfrew Park launch in 2015 in Penn Township.
Handley said Doug Roth, a township supervisor and director of the municipality's public works department, cooperated with the alliance in installing the launch.
“The township was the first to jump on board and want to help us,” Handley said.
Roth said the township's backhoe was used to install the huge stone slabs at the launch and to dig out a space for a small parking lot.
Funds from late township resident Lillian Rath allowed the township to purchase a pavilion kit for installation at the launch as well as a picnic table for the structure.
When Roth learned that Boy Scout Mitch Sober of Troop 53 in Penn Township was looking for an Eagle Scout project, Roth suggested he pour the concrete floor and build the pavilion from the kit.
After Sober built the pavilion, the township public works employees installed and anchored the picnic table inside.
Roth said the launch site is a great addition to the township.
“It's getting a lot of use,” he said. “It's good for the community and good for the park.”
When the launch has flooded, which is an unfortunate occurrence in Renfrew, alliance members have been quick to clean off the steps, picnic table and stone slabs once the waters recede.
“Why wouldn't you want to partner with someone like that?” Roth said. “It's nice to see young people doing something like this.”
The kayakers who use the launch, Roth said, also support commerce in the township when they stop to get a bite to eat or buy gasoline.
“Every time you go down there (to the launch), someone's there,” he said.
Roth said the supervisors also respect and appreciate the two annual creek cleanup events each year. The alliance's volunteers twice lined up hundreds of waterlogged tires on the large grassy area near the launch, and the township fire department hosed them down to prepare them for recycling.
“I think it's great,” Roth said of the alliance's cleanups and boat launches.
The next launch installed by the alliance, in 2016, was the Major Washington launch off Ash Stop Road in Forward Township.
That launch was named after George Washington, who traversed the area by foot and canoe in the 1700s on a trip from Virginia to Erie.
“He was actually shot at right up the creek near the municipal building,” Handley said. “That was the closest he ever came to being assassinated, right near the launch.”In 2017, the alliance put in the Wild Waterways launch at Porter's Cove in Jackson Township. The launch is under the bridge on Hartmann Road off Route 68.Handley said scenes for the Netflix series “Mindhunter” were shot Sept. 8 at the Wild Waterways launch.“They loved the launch and wanted to use it, so I guess it's famous now,” Handley said.The alliance also installed the Eckstein Launch in 2017 on Eckstein Road in Forward Township. The small launch only accommodates entry into or exit from the creek.Handley explained that the Eckstein launch was added for those who don't want to paddle the eight winding miles from the Renfrew to the Major Washington launch. The Eckstein launch splits the trip in half.The alliance also added two launches in Fombell, Beaver County.Christian's launch was named after sponsor Josh Meeder's son. That launch is on Hartzell School Road off Route 588.A launch installed on McKim Way, also off Route 588 in Fombell, is the most recent version installed by the group.It is named the Allegheny Aquatic Alliance launch.“We finally named one after our organization,” Handley said with a chuckle.He said grants from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy helped fund the installation of all the launches.The alliance plans to continue adding accesses to the banks of the Connoquenessing.“We try to put in more launches every year because the goal is to have a launch every four to five miles so people are able to really get in and enjoy the creek,” Handley said.The launch at Kittanning Street in Butler is meant to allow fishermen and kayakers to access the creek safely, as they now must climb down a steep, rocky bank through brush and weeds.“So this is going to help the fishermen to get down there safely,” Handley said.In addition to installing the launches, the alliance board must also maintain them by emptying the trash and fishing line receptacles or mowing and trimming weeds where necessary.The board members also shovel or pressure wash the stone steps and slabs at launches that have flooded.“We do have a fantastic board,” Handley said of his right-hand men and women. “They are always willing to jump in and do whatever is needed.”The board members are Handley, Dave Hamilton, Rip Davis, Tracey Hughes, Jeff Kline, Adam Spear, Kate Schorr and Tom and Brooke McKee.Handley hopes residents continue to enjoy the launches and the sparkling Connie as well.“I have heard nothing but great feedback,” he said. “The community really likes seeing these launches in there, giving them access to the creek.”
