Parkersburg continues efforts to clean Point Park, trail after floods
Parkersburg Parks Supervisor Doug “Farmer” Kinney uses a tractor to clear mud at Point Park Thursday. (Photo Provided)
City of Parkersburg employee Joe Wagner uses a hose to clear mud and debris at Point Park Thursday. (Photo provided)
Parkersburg Parks Supervisor Doug “Farmer” Kinney uses a tractor to clear mud at Point Park Thursday. (Photo Provided)
City of Parkersburg employee Joe Wagner uses a hose to clear mud and debris at Point Park Thursday. (Photo provided)
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PARKERSBURG -- Point Park and the Parkersburg Ohio River Trail remain closed as city workers continue work to remove mud deposited by back-to-back floods earlier this month.
"We appreciate the public's patience as we want to be sure we got the cleanup done in a manner to ensure safety of city personnel and the general public," Mayor Tom Joyce said Thursday.
The park and trail were closed after the Ohio River crested at Parkersburg at 40.5 feet on April 5. It receded but rose again to 38.43 feet on April 14.
Joyce said the second high water event left more debris than the first -- after city personnel were already about 75% finished with the cleanup.
"I'm very pleased with (Public Works Director) Everett (Shears) and his team's planning, coordination and execution to get the park and trail opened back up," he said
The mayor said the city is focused on getting Point Park cleaned in time for people to ride the Island Belle sternwheeler from the park to Blennerhassett Island. Additional work will be required in the weeks and months ahead to remove mud from the green space areas, he said.
An opening date for the island has not been announced by the state.
Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park Superintendent Craig Pyles said the island is bouncing back from the recent flooding as well.
"We've had to rebuild roads, replace gravel," he said. "It's a work in progress, but hopefully people won't notice once we do reopen."
Joyce said that after Point Park city crews will focus on cleaning the trail, which opened last year, from the point to 12th Street and then north. Personnel who normally would have been mowing along the trail have been working to clear the mud and debris from Point Park the last two weeks, he said.
Joyce thanked the Parkersburg Yacht Club for allowing city workers to access the point from their property.
Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com