News

The Port Terminal boating access renovation is near completion, which means a new kayak launch will soon be available to paddlers in Pitt County.

“They are done pouring the boat ramp, and about to start putting riprap rock down, then they’ll be installing their floating dock, and once they do so, we can put our kayak launch on it,” said Sound Rivers Environmental Projects Coordinator Clay Barber.

The Port Terminal kayak launch is the third of three ADA accessible kayak launches Sound Rivers has partnered on with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and city governments in Washington and Greenville. The other kayak launches were completed in March 2021 at Runyon Creek at Havens Garden in Washington and in June 2021 at Mason’s Landing on Tranter’s Creek in Washington. The projects are funded by a grant Sound Rivers received from North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Recreational Trails, and other funding from the North Carolina Division of Water Resources.

Clay said a committee he’s served on for the last two years, Greenville-Pitt County Destination Marketing Advisory Committee, has done a great job of marketing the new kayak launch.

“Because of COVID, Greenville lost a ton of tourism, business travel, sports tournaments, conventions, but one thing that they pushed and were successful in pushing was outdoor tourism, so everyone is really excited about our kayak launch,” Clay said.

The Port Terminal kayak launch is expected to be completed and ready to launch paddlers at the end of February.