News

New kayak launch washes away after rainstorms at Four Mile Run Park

By James Cullum
Under a concrete highway overpass above a river, a pile of rusted metal debris and broken fencing rests against the pier with water in the foreground.
Under a bridge over a calm river, a floating platform with a toppled container and a metal ramp nearby.
Long metal pedestrian bridge over a calm lake, bordered by trees and a grassy park with buildings in the background.
Construction site along a river with a fenced gate and bright yellow caution tape surrounding a boarded walkway
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The floating kayak launch at Four Mile Run Park washed away from its moorings after heavy rainstorms over the weekend.

On Sunday afternoon (Aug. 2), a stabilizing cable that kept the kayak launch in place snapped after too much pressure during high tide from trees and other floating debris. City staff were at the park on Tuesday afternoon to close the walkway leading down to the vacant space. The launch is now resting underneath the Route 1 bridge, and caution tape and a construction sign have been erected to bar anyone from using the walkway.

The $500,000 launch opened to the public last December. It’s the first public ADA-accessible Potomac River paddling access, and was built through a city partnership with the Four Mile Run Conservancy Foundation.

“We will make sure it is stronger than it ever was before,” Kurt Moser, president of the Four Mile Run Conservancy, told ALXnow. “We’ll get it back. I think we can get it back pretty quickly.”

On Tuesday (Aug. 4), city staff at the park said that the only way to bring the launch back is to disassemble it, bring it back in pieces and then reassemble it.

Moser said that the pier isn’t going to be cheap to repair, but that it’s a manageable project.

“The good thing is that it didn’t go way out into the Potomac and we didn’t lose all the pieces,” he said.

The city’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities has a number of immediate priorities, including:

  • Stabilize the Kayak Launch and prevent it from moving further downstream within the next 24 hours. Approximately ½ inch of rain is forecasted for tomorrow, Wednesday, August 5, which could affect conditions at the site
  • Schedule a structural assessment and initial damage report within the next few days
  • Move the Kayak Launch from beneath the bridge to a more secure location. The project team are evaluating approaches for safely moving and securing the launch. The launch is approx. 40′ x 20′ with a 30′ length gangway
“The floating dock appears intact, and the gangway appears to have sustained some damage to the railings and anchoring plates,” RPCA told ALXnow. “Full damage will not be known until the kayak launch and gangway are moved. The lower end of the boardwalk also sustained damage.”

New Four Mile Run kayak launch image via City of Alexandria Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities/Facebook

About the Author

  • Reporter James Cullum has spent nearly 20 years covering Northern Virginia. He began working with ALXnow in 2020, and has covered every story under the sun for the publication, from investigative stories to features and photo galleries. His work includes coverage of national and international situations, as well as from the White House, Capitol, Pentagon, Supreme Court and State Department. He's covered protests and riots throughout the U.S. (including the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol), in addition to earthquake-ridden Haiti, Western Sahara in North Africa and war-torn South Sudan. He has photographed presidents and other world leaders, celebrities and famous musicians, and excels under pressure.