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The James Allen Williamson Champney River Park on Champney River in McIntosh County is seen in a photo taken using an unmanned aerial vehicle on July 21, 2020. The park soon get a facelift thanks in part to funds allocated by the Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program. Cameron Brinton/CRD.
By TYLER JONES
Public Information Officer
Coastal Resources Division
Yes, even CRD has to apply for Coastal Marshlands Protection Permits when our staff want to do something within the law’s jurisdiction.
That happened recently as CRD’s Habitat Enhancement and Public Access unit seeks to upgrade the James Allen Williamson Champney River Park south of downtown Darien off U.S.-17 in McIntosh County.
The Coastal Marshlands Protection Committee on April 5 approved a CRD permit request for work to overhaul the park, updating the boat ramp, service dock, and parking lot, along with adding a barge landing for DNR to use in future habitat restoration projects.
Originally permitted in 1981 and modified in 2003, the park under the recently approved permit will see changes throughout its 3.3 acres. CRD plans to expand the boat ramp to a 56-foot wide, two-lane concrete ramp with center divider and rip-rap on both sides.
Additionally, the service dock will be replaced with a new configuration that includes a 30-foot by 10-foot fishing pier near the shoreline, followed by a 60-foot wide service dock about 70 feet out into the river.
East of the service dock, the plans call for a 35-foot wide barge landing with timber dolphins on each side. WRD and CRD expect to use the barge landing to move shell and other materials for use in future habitat projects, like the creation of bird islands.
Perhaps of most interest to anyone who’s ever used the Champney boat ramp at high tide, the plans call for regrading the parking lot and dealing with rising sea levels and stormwater runoff. As part of the project, the existing parking lot will be torn up and fill dirt will be brought in to raise the elevation by about two or three feet. A new asphalt parking lot of about 100,000 square feet will be built on the northern half of the park with pervious grass parking lot on the southern half. The paved parking lot will also be restriped to accomodate larger trucks and trailers.
To handle stormwater, green infrastructure including a bioswale and native vegetation will be planted.
The project is being partially funded by a 2022 Georgia Outdoor Stewardship Program grant of $1.1 million. Additional funds are being provided by WRD, Ducks Unlimited, local businesses, and individuals.
