Category Overview
Washington is famous for its gorgeous and abundant waterways, from the Salish Sea to the Nisqually River, but many communities lack open public beaches and waterfronts where everyone can enjoy picnicking, swimming, paddling, boating, and angling. Water Access projects fund public shoreline access, boat launches, and fishing docks to create more opportunities for water recreation.
Project Highlights
The Port of Camas-Washougal used this grant to develop a 2.4 acre water access area on the last piece of publicly-owned Washougal waterfront land along the Columbia River, located on the south side of the Lewis and Clark Highway 14 and the 2nd Street intersection. This project allowed the Port to preserve the waterfront area in Washougal for the public and meet an underserved waterfront access need. This project created a paved and rocked trail that will provide accessibility to the Columbia River shoreline for non-motorized boaters and pedestrians; an adjacent parking lot with rounded staging area, for kayakers and canoeists; a 32,150 square foot lawn picnicking area with outdoor classroom picnic shelter; a viewing plaza to enjoy the spectacular views, energy efficient restrooms, and historical/educational interpretive kiosks and signs. The primary recreation provided by this project is for non-motorized water access and passive recreation along the waterfront.