Modesto’s first boat ramp on Tuolumne is almost done. When and where might you paddle?
By early summer, rowboats and kayaks could begin using the first launch ramp in Tuolumne River Regional Park.
It will be off Neece Drive in west Modesto, a river stretch short on visitor amenities to date.
The concrete ramp is already in place, sloping from a low bluff into the water. Visitors towing larger boats will back down the ramp to unload. Others will just walk down to launch a kayak, or to swim in the shade of mature oak trees. Motorboats will not be allowed.
The site still needs finishing touches over the next few months, said Nathan Houx, manager of park planning and development for Modesto.
The tasks include fencing, picnic tables, parking lot striping and portable restrooms in the upper part of the project. Shade tree saplings have been planted on this portion, previously a weedy field.
Everything could be ready by late spring or early summer, Houx said, but rain could slow the crews.
He spoke during a Wednesday tour by the California Boating and Waterways Commission, which granted $780,000 for the project. The rest of the $1.79 million cost was covered by the park’s capital budget and fees on developers.
Harris Builders of Hilmar has done the work on a contract approved in July by the Modesto City Council. The part within the river was completed first because flows increase in autumn to aid salmon migration.
Seven miles of river park in Modesto
The park runs along seven river miles between Mitchell and Carpenter roads. Three paved boat ramps already operate upstream: on the east side of Ceres, at Geer Road near Hughson, and in Waterford. A dirt path allows boater access at Riverdale Park, downstream of TRRP.
The regional park also has trails, picnic areas and a few soccer fields and restored floodplains. The portion around the Ninth Street Bridge could someday be a central gathering place, a short walk from downtown Modesto.
The area of the new boat ramp already has dirt trails, used by hikers, joggers and mountain bikers. An upcoming project will add a parallel paved path for wheelchairs, strollers and street bicycles. It could be completed by early 2025, extending from around Ninth Street to west Modesto.
“This area here is a low-income neighborhood,” Houx said. “Being able to have connectivity through downtown and other areas of the park is big.”
The ramp is just across Neece from John Thurman Field, home to the Nuts minor-league baseball team. Next to the ballpark is the former Modesto Municipal Golf Course. The city is considering future uses that could include a mix of dense housing and recreation.
The river park has its own planning process, based on a 2001 document that is in the midst of being updated. The governing board expects to issue a draft in early 2024 that outlines possible projects and funding sources.
State parks director takes a look
State Parks Director Armando Quintero was on the tour. He said boaters setting out from west Modesto could reach the boat ramp eventually planned for a new state park far downstream. It will be at Dos Rios Ranch, which will get its first basic amenities this year.
Houx said the Tuolumne ramp also might attract rafting outfitters, offering summer trips for a fee. They already work the Stanislaus River near Knights Ferry, where flows are relatively higher.
The Tuolumne can get too low for boating during dry years under the current rules for releases from Don Pedro Reservoir. They could improve under the recent river-management plan from the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts. Environmental groups, such as the Tuolumne River Trust, would like to see even greater flows.
