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Jan. 30, 2006

TPW Commission Approves $1.5 Million for Boating Access

AUSTIN, Texas — Thanks to action by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission Thursday, the City of West Tawakoni will be able to build its first boat ramp on Lake Tawakoni, and the Willacy County Navigation District will be able to dredge the Port Mansfield channel to navigable depths.

Those are just two of the six boating access projects TPW commissioners voted to fund in their January meeting. The action will provide $1,541,957 in State Boating Access Program matching grants to local entities on both inland and coastal waters.

“We’re interested in providing additional opportunities for boating access where needed,” said Tim Hogsett, TPWD’s recreation grants director. “This is pass-through money. It’s a reinvestment back into boating of tax dollars that have been paid by boaters.”

Hogsett said TPWD now awards the grants twice a year, with deadlines June 30 and Oct. 31.

The State Boating Access Program was authorized in 1975 by the 64^th Legislature. The program provides funds for the purchase, construction, renovation and maintenance of boat ramps, access roads and other related facilities to improve public recreational boating access to public waters.

The program receives funding from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, also known as the Wallop-Breaux Program. Construction for approved projects is supported on a 75 percent (federal), 25 percent (local) basis.

Wallop-Breaux funds are derived from federal gasoline taxes paid by boaters and by law must be used to facilitate access for motorized vessels.

The approved projects are:

• $375,000 for City Park Boat Ramp Development, City of West Tawakoni. The City of West Tawakoni requested a 75 percent matching share grant for construction of a two-lane boat ramp, access road, parking area, bulkheads, restroom, courtesy dock and signs.
• $499,987 for Calaveras Lake Boat Ramp Renovations, San Antonio River Authority. The SARA requested nearly half a million dollars for renovation of two sets of boat ramps (a total of five lanes), access roads, parking areas, bulkheads, lighting, walkways and signs at Calaveras Lake southeast of San Antonio.
• $125,580 for Log Cabin City Park Boating Access, City of Log Cabin. The City of Log Cabin requested a grant for the renovation and expansion of a two-lane boat ramp, courtesy dock, access road, new restroom, entry station, fish-cleaning station, pavilion and signs at Cedar Creek Lake.
• $150,000 for City Park boating access improvements, City of Point Comfort. The City of Point Comfort requested a grant for construction of a new restroom, renovation of courtesy docks, and signs at a public boat ramp on Lavaca Bay.
• $166,390 for Boerne City Lake boating access, City of Boerne. The City of Boerne requested a grant for the construction of a new restroom, courtesy dock, surfacing of existing parking area and access road and signs. The facility provides public access to Boerne City Lake.
• $225,000 for Port Mansfield channel dredging, Willacy County Navigation District. The WCND requested a grant to help pay for dredging of the Port Mansfield Channel at the Gulf of Mexico jetties. The channel provides the only public boating access to the Gulf of Mexico between Corpus Christi and Port Isabel. The one-time project will dredge the mouth of the channel to a depth to serve recreational boaters, and future maintenance will be the responsibility of WCND or another entity.

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On the Net:

• http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/grants/trpa/

AR 2006-01-30