The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) partnered with Great River Hydro earlier this summer to enhance recreational infrastructure for paddlers at a primitive campsite along the Moore Reservoir.
The new infrastructure will protect against environmental degradation and enhance the user experience for paddlers, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. The campsite is part of the Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail, a series of campsites, portage trails and access points spanning from the river’s headwaters south to Long Island Sound.
“This was a rewarding partnership project with Great River Hydro,” said NFCT Stewardship Director Noah Pollock. “Access to the site has been in need of improvement for a number of years — it’s truly a beautiful location, nestled in majestic pines along the Connecticut River, but was also hard to find or access. In addition, the new privy brings the campsite up to accepted trail standards. We’re proud of the work we accomplished and we think users will appreciate the upgrades.”
“Great River Hydro recognizes the importance of the Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail campsites and is committed to its success,” said Matthew Cole of Great River Hydro. “The Northern Forest Canoe Trail staff has the expertise and knowledge to make improvements for the greater good. We’re glad to partner with the experts for such improvements to our campsites.”
Over the course of three days in June, the NFCT’s professional stewardship crew added cribbed access steps, a moldering privy and new wayfinding signage. The timber-cribbed stairs lead from a beach landing to the campsite and consist of eight five-foot-wide steps, designed to make access to and from the landing as safe and easy-to-use as possible while also preventing natural erosion. The two-bin moldering privy was installed over a shallow depression to channel wastewater; the crew also cleared brush to create a three-foot-wide trail to and from the privy. Wayfinding signage was installed to direct users to the campsite, and a second sign directs users from the campsite to the privy location. The campsite also has tent pads, picnic tables and a fire ring previously installed by the power company.
As the only dedicated water trail crew in the Northeast, the NFCT’s stewardship crew specializes in projects at the interface of land and water, including campsites, portage trails and access points. While the NFCT route passes to the north of Moore Reservoir, in recent years, the NFCT has also been working on stewardship projects connected either by proximity or shared water bodies, including along the Connecticut River.
To learn more about the NFCT’s stewardship work, contact Noah Pollock at noah@northernforestcanoetrail.
