DNR Funds Replacement Of Aging Boat Ramp On Potomac

Montgomery County, MD (May 6, 2010) — The Maryland Department of Natural Resources and Montgomery County have partnered to rebuild the Pennyfield boat ramp which provides access to the Potomac River. The ramp is located at the Muddy Branch at the National Park Service aqueduct. This popular location has been used for decades by boaters and anglers.

“The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission appreciates the cooperative efforts with DNR and the National Park Service to design, fund, and construct this project that provides greatly improved access to the aqueduct and Potomac River,” said Project Engineer Andrew Frank. “This location is very popular among avid sportsmen and families alike, and we have received many compliments on the completed project. M-NCPPC anticipates the public will continue to enjoy this improved launch site for decades to come and thanks everyone who helped make it possible.”

DNR provided $99,000 in grant funds to Montgomery County to build a concrete ramp, an in-water stone “j-hook” (that creates deep pooling water downstream from the ramp), place stones along the river banks to help keep them secure, and to create a handicapped accessible parking space. The Montgomery County Department of Parks contributed over $99,000 as well. DNR grant funds are from the Waterway Improvement Fund, which is funded by the 5 percent excise tax boaters pay when they register a boat in Maryland.

This unique boat ramp, which replaces the old wooden boat ramp that had fallen into disrepair, will provide access to hundreds of small flat bottom motorized hunting and fishing boats, and thousands of canoes and kayaks to the Potomac River.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2009, is the state agency responsible for providing natural and living resource-related services to citizens and visitors. DNR manages more than 467,000 acres of public lands and 17,000 miles of waterways, along with Maryland's forests, fisheries, and wildlife for maximum environmental, economic and quality of life benefits. A national leader in land conservation, DNR-managed parks and natural, historic, and cultural resources attract 12 million visitors annually. DNR is the lead agency in Maryland's effort to restore the Chesapeake Bay, the state's number one environmental priority. Learn more at www.dnr.maryland.gov