Utica council OKs working with watershed group to upgrade kayak launches

UTICA — During the Utica City Council’s March 10 meeting, representatives with the Clinton River Watershed Council discussed potential canoe and kayak launch site updates that could be accomplished at sites in Utica in the near future.

The Clinton River Watershed Council revised its water trail plan in 2025. A final draft of the plan will be released officially on March 19.

“Last year we redid it, got input from all communities and residents and users for the plan, asking for what sort of improvements that they would like to see,” said Jeffery Schiffman, CRWC watershed planner.

The new plan has identified three main goals for the Clinton River Water Trail, which includes “accessibility,” “visibility” and “ecological consciousness.” According to the agenda packet on the city of Utica website, “accessibility” would focus on launch updates and increased safety measures, and visibility would focus on a greater social media presence, increased event attendance, and a redesigned paddling page on the website. “Ecological consciousness” would focus on increasing large woody debris and erosion surveys, increasing paddlers’ awareness and expanding partnerships.

The CRWC’s presence at the City Council meeting was to ask if the city of Utica would want to participate in some of these improvements.

“We’re not building pavilions or grandstands or anything like that, but it’ll be like installing kayak racks at sites, lockers, benches, picnic tables where they’re available, whatever the city is looking for and the feedback that we’ve got from paddlers on sites,” Schiffman said. 

Utica has two launch sites that include Clinton River Heritage Park at 44505 Van Dyke Ave., and in downtown Utica, between Auburn Road and M-59, which is a part of the Michigan Water Trails network.

“One (location) needs a lot of help and the other one our (Department of Public Works) rebuilt two, three years ago. … It’s in better shape, but it could use some amenities as well,” Utica Mayor Gus Calandrino said.

Schiffman said that there will likely be no cost to the city, as the CRWC has a couple of funding resources such as the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and funding arrangements with vocational schools in the area where students can build items for the launch sites.

The Utica City Council unanimously approved participating in these improvements, and the CRWC will be further working with city officials on the potential updates.

“So, as a part of the process, we’ll work with the community to make sure that you get what you want,” Schiffman said. “If we’re going to put in a kayak rack, that it looks the way the city wants it to look.”

For more information, visit cityofutica.org.