Program Seeks To Improve Access To Cahaba River

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Access to Alabama’s longest free-flowing and most biologically diverse river will soon improve thanks to a new collaborative effort. The University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, along with its program partners at the Cahaba River Society, The Nature Conservancy of Alabama, the Freshwater Land Trust and the Cahaba Riverkeeper, announced the official start of the Cahaba Blueway, a 200 mile-long water trail through the heart of Alabama.

A report by Alabama News Center this week said UACED and its partners have developed the Cahaba Blueway program to enhance public awareness of the river as a recreational destination, to make available the information needed for safe navigation on the river and to facilitate the development of access infrastructure to make getting on and off the water with a canoe or kayak safer and easier.

Of the 31 locations along the river and two tributaries where the public has access, 15 have the infrastructure needed to become officially designated “Cahaba Blueway” sites as part of the Blueway’s unveiling later this month. With the guidelines as a reference, the program intends to facilitate the development of improvements at the remainder of the sites in coming years.

“It is important to have safe, environmentally sustainable and durable access infrastructure along the Cahaba so that the public can experience and enjoy the river while we continue to protect this fragile and important resource,” said Brian Rushing, program coordinator.

Program partners have developed a website at cahabablueway.org where people can obtain information to plan a paddling trip on the river. The site features an interactive map with information about each access point and river section, paddling and river safety information and links to local paddling outfitters and retailers as well as local hospitality and tourism information resources.

Cahaba Blueway access point dedications will take place later this month in Trussville, Irondale, Mountain Brook and Helena, as well as in Bibb, Perry and Dallas counties. More information about those events will be made available through the Cahaba Blueway’s FaceBook page or by calling Rushing at 205-915-5402.