Friday, December 9, 2011

Maryland DNR Completes Renovation of Wenona Harbor

     Wenona, Md. -- The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Boating Services and Somerset County held a ribbon cutting on November 21 to officially open the Wenona Harbor boating access facility.
     “This project is a fine example of what can be accomplished when local government and State agencies work together,” said Somerset County Administrator, Doug Taylor. “The rehabilitation has been a win-win for both boaters and the county.”
     Construction began on December 6, 2010 and was completed on July 18, 2011. Renovations to Wenona Harbor included a new 600-foot bulkheading, double-wide boat ramp measuring 36 by 60 feet with a center boarding pier, parking area, 200-foot pier and 12 slips with utilities. The new double-wide boat ramp will greatly improve public access and create opportunities for recreational boaters and the surrounding community to reach the Tangier Sound and the Chesapeake Bay.
     “This is truly one of the only facilities in Maryland where the public can launch and view working skipjacks, and in minutes have access to the Tangier Sound,” said the Vice President of Somerset County Commissioners, Charles Fisher. “The improvement to the harbor will ensure that the boating public has the ability to access the beautiful waters of Somerset County for many years to come.”
     The total cost of the project was $545,182; with $496,496 provided by State Waterway Improvement Funds for engineering and construction. Somerset County funded the rest of the project. The State Waterway Improvement Fund is derived from the 5 percent vessel excise tax paid when a boat is purchased and titled in Maryland. The Waterway Improvement Program has funded more than 4,500 grant projects since the program’s inception in 1966, valued in excess of $300 million in the development of over 300 public boating access sites Statewide.

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