Downs Park and Homeport Farm Park Good News For 2018

[Lisa]

Hello all,

I come bearing good news of improved launchsites in Anne Arundel County in 2018.

The launch from Downs Park onto Locust Cove and the Bodkin was a steep messy muddy spot to put in. It now has a gentle slope to a lovely sand beach framed by two short stone jetties. The county dredged a bit of Locust Cove to make the site more accessible. The access path will be paved all the way to the beach. The project isn't quite complete - the access path and landscaping work aren't done - but it will be finished before Spring 2018.

The entrance road to Homeport Farm Park is being paved and a ~30 spot parking lot is in progress. The launch path is a combination of blacktop and compacted gravel all the way to the new sandy launch beach, again framed by two short stone jetties. Although this is a bigger project it will be done before Spring 2018.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lisa

[Mark]

Lisa,

Thank you very much. This is excellent news indeed for both sites.

Last June I launched from Downs into Locust Cove and sunk up to my knees in mud upon my return as the tide had gone out during my paddle. Here's a photo of the launch as it was then:

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From there the water leads through a residential area to the main portion of the Bodkin itself. Here's a short picture essay of the path to the Bodkin:

P1020822.jpg P1020824.jpg P1020827.jpg

Soon, you are in the open Bodkin Creek and within striking distance of the Patapsco River which lies straight ahead as seen here:

P1020828.jpg

I caught white perch in many cuts and inlets and under piers along the way that day. And I ran into group of touring kayakers upon my return to the launch:

P1020844.jpg

The mud discouraged me from launching there again but I thought of the area often especially during the fall when the stripers no doubt occupy the waters a short paddle from the launch. In 2018 we'll have good access.

This is a wonderful Christmas gift for me in particular because it is only a few miles from my house. I think the site will prove to be a popular one for anglers seeking white perch and stripers in season and for recreational kayakers throughout the year.

The improvements to Homeport Farm are also welcome. My kayak angling friends and I have had good days there too. It's a scenic area and again, a good site for perch and stripers:

P1020168.jpg P1020173.jpg P1020174.jpg

Thanks to you and those on the county's water access committee for listening to our requests.

[J. Rentch]

Wow, what a Christmas present for AACo kayakers. Looking forward to trying out both!

Thanks so much Lisa!

[On the fly]

Great news, thanks for the update

[Lisa]

IMG_20171129_122114876.jpg

Here's the new beach from Downs Park onto Locust Cove and the Bodkin. It's a shocking change from Mark's photo essay of his muddy expedition.

Lisa

[Mark]

Fantastic!!!

Thank you Lisa, AA County and the Water Access Committee.

[On the fly]

Awesome!

[EMSer]

Excellent!!

[mchottie]

AWESOME!

Great news for us local AA Co'ers!

[ymr049c]

Nice! I discovered Homeport Farm late last summer, and really enjoyed it. The last time I was there I was caught off guard that it was closed for work. I'm glad it will be done early this coming season and will have such a good upgrade.

[Lisa]

Here are some pics of Homeport in progress starting from the parking lot area and going down to the new beach launch. They used blacktop on the steepest bit of the path that would erode without paving. The black plastic honeycomb panels are geoforms that get filled and topped with gravel. The geoforms make the gravel pervious ie water is supposed to go through it rather than run off it. The boards are tied around the trees to protect the tree trunks from heavy equipment.

Happy New Year!

Lisa

[J.A. Veil]

Here are some pics of Homeport in progress starting from the parking lot area and going down to the new beach launch. They used blacktop on the steepest bit of the path that would erode without paving. The black plastic honeycomb panels are geoforms that get filled and topped with gravel. The geoforms make the gravel pervious ie water is supposed to go through it rather than run off it. The boards are tied around the trees to protect the tree trunks from heavy equipment.

Happy New Year!

Lisa

Those revisions look great and should make the uphill haul at the end of trip more manageable.

[Mark]

Here are some pics of Homeport in progress starting from the parking lot area and going down to the new beach launch. They used blacktop on the steepest bit of the path that would erode without paving. The black plastic honeycomb panels are geoforms that get filled and topped with gravel. The geoforms make the gravel pervious ie water is supposed to go through it rather than run off it. The boards are tied around the trees to protect the tree trunks from heavy equipment.

Happy New Year!

Lisa

Happy New Year indeed!

The county is not only increasing water access. It's doing it right. Those are terrific improvements.

[harlanbud]

Incredible news!

[Lisa]

Sometime next year I'll find the summer 2013 "how to open Homeport" plan I swatted up and gave to the director of Rec & Parks and post it here. The most ambitious item on it was a portapottie.

The Bodkin launch makes the annual 4 park regional park pass a better value for kayakers and anglers. It includes Fort Smallwood park (one "big water" kayak launch and a fishing pier), Downs Park (one "big water" kayak launch, one sheltered water kayak launch and a fishing pier), Quiet Waters Park (you need the quads of a god to get a kayak down and then back up that .7 mile launch path hill) and Kinder Farm Park (there's a livestock watering tank in there somewhere).

I bought my 2018 pass yesterday. Bring cash or a check, the county doesn't reliably take cards.

If you're active or retired military don't buy a pass because you get in free. If you're over 60 you can get a $40 lifetime pass. Otherwise it's $30 county resident $40 non-county resident.

Details here: http://www.aacounty.org/departments/...s/parks/downs/

Here's to an early spring 2018!

Lisa