Grant To Support Launch For Non-Motorized Boats On Four Mile Run

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A grant to the Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation will support a launch for non-motorized boats on Four Mile Run.

The $300,000 for the Four Mile Run project is one of seven selected for grant funding through a Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation program. The publicly accessible launch will be located on the tidal part of Four Mile Run between Arlington and Alexandria.

The launch will serve non-motorized recreational watercraft such as kayaks and canoes, allowing users to access the Potomac River Water Trail and areas of Four Mile Run where restoration work has been done.

"Access to nature, especially on waterways close to home, greatly enhances health and well-being, and seeing how demand for water recreation continues to rise, we are thrilled to be receiving this support for a public-access project we’ve worked toward for several years," said Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation president Kurt Moser in a statement.

According to the foundation, the launch would be the first in the DC region to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The launch will include a transfer platform usable by wheelchair users and a roller-entry ramp.

The foundation is still working to complete fundraising, which is past halfway to the goal of about $500,000. Engineering design costs were supported by community contributions and matching grant funding of $17,600 awarded by the city's Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities in 2020. The project is being considered for another Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities grant of $50,000. Alexandria’s Park and Recreation Commission will choose grant proposals for funding at their upcoming public meeting on October 20.

The latest funding from Virginia's Recreational Trails Program is a federal, matching reimbursement program administered through the states to build and rehabilitate trails and trail-related facilities.

Donations for the launch project are also being accepted online.

The Four Mile Run Conservatory Foundation was created in 2016 to provide restoration, advocacy, recreation and education in the lower Four Mile Run. The group rallies hundreds of volunteers every year to do litter cleanups, native tree or shrub plantings, invasive species removal and educational programs for youth.