207 Keowee Trail Clemson, SC 29631 This waterfront park, "Larry W. Abernathy Waterfront Park" named in dedication to the City of Clemson's Mayor, began in early 1994 with public meetings and a citizen's planning committee. Woolpert & Associates of Charlotte, NC developed concept plans in 1999 and a final plan and construction documents by WK Dickson Company of Atlanta, GA in 2001/02. The results are a linear park of just over one half mile long and connecting the current Jaycee Park on College Avenue with the area behind the restaurants bordering Hwy 123. This passive park encourages the use of the lake while extending the streetscape features on College Avenue. The park maintains the natural character of this environmentally friendly site. It is the natural area aspects of the park that are emphasized for public enjoyment.

Construction and Park Detail: Phase I - Lake Excavation The construction of this park was completed in two phases. The first phase being the dry excavation of approximately eight acres and 30,000 cubic yards of accumulated silt and sediment of Lake Hartwell. The silt and sediment removal did not deepen the Lake Hartwell cove bordered by Hwy 123, Shorecrest Drive, Keowee Trail Road and the City's Jaycee Park, but took a great portion of that area back to its original depth elevation of 652 feet above sea level. Existing lakebed elevations in the cove vary from 652 feet to 660 feet. The City Council awarded a contract to remove this sediment and silt to the Belk Company of Anderson on December 27, 2001 in the amount of $256,000. This contract was awarded contingent upon the City receiving a United States Army Corps of Engineers permit to perform work within the Corps jurisdictional wetlands. Applications for the permits were submitted to the Corps on June 21, 2001. The City received the necessary permits in April 2002. The City issued a Notice to Proceed with work on April 24th and work began that same day.

City staff pushed to have the lake excavation work started and completed as soon as possible due to its dependency on the weather. As the Lake Hartwell lake level rose above 652 feet, the scope of this project changed drastically. At any point the excavation work became hydraulic (wet) dredging, the cost became prohibitive of the City completing the excavation work and this phase of the park project. Lake Hartwell's level was 653.19 feet as supplied by the Corps' web site for May 15, 2002. It had been over ten years since Lake Hartwell's level had been that low. But, over the same time period, the average lake level has been 657.85 feet. Therefore, on average, the Lake Hartwell cove of the Keowee Trail Park will have on average, four to five feet of water for recreational uses. USCOE current and historical data of the lake levels may be found on their web site at US Corp of Engineers. During excavation work on the site, trucks hauled from the site on Keowee Trail Road to Highway 123 to deposit the soils at the City's Gateway Linear Park on Old Greenville Road (Hwy 93). The excavation began in April 2002 and was completed in June, 2002. This linear park on Hwy 93 is a planned linear pedestrian park from Highway 76 to Highway 123. The linear park required some filling to produce a level walking area with the fill coming from the Keowee Trail Park project. This re-use of these soils at the nearby location provided lower costs for both projects.

Phase II - Park Amenities The second phase of the WaterFront Park was the design and construction of the upland park amenities of walking trails, boardwalks, observation decks, temporary use boat docks and other uses that promote passive recreational and educational use of the lake's edge. The park as built does not differ much from the original master plan prepared by Woolpert in 1999. The park now includes the key elements of:

· Access into the area are paved walks at locations connecting to Jaycee Park, a parking lot on Keowee Trail Road, a connected sidewalk to Hwy 123 at Lakeside Apartments and a paved walk on Highway 123 across from Gold's Gym. These trails are coupled with landscape development that enhances the College Avenue improvements. · Trail areas are composed of two different types of construction. The primary trail is paved concrete. The secondary trails and observation areas are a boardwalk material. Both types are ADA acceptable and are totally accessible. All trails are field located so as to construct out of the way of as many existing trees and landscape features as possible.

· Wooden observation/boardwalk areas are off of the interpretive trails. The boardwalk areas penetrate the lake edge that was filled by sediment. The existing vegetation is left as natural as possible. The boardwalk is used as an observation area offering educational information for both the lake and wetland areas.

· A parking lot for 15 vehicles is located about midway of Keowee Trail Road. The parking lot is connected to the main pedestrian corridor route for easy access. · Observation areas are located all along the walkways at the lake's edge for both recreation and environmental interpretation uses. Boardwalk observation areas include three swing structures for passive use.

· Active recreational uses of the park include two boat docks that accommodate up to eight boats total. Boating activity will not allow overnight nor commercial use and the no-wake zones are established near both docks and the canoe ramp. · Shoreline and stream bank stabilization is constructed under the guidance of Clemson University and utilizing University natural stabilization techniques. Natural plantings along the shoreline used in conjunction with rock riprap and /or retaining walls are utilized for stabilization. This provides educational and experimental opportunities for future lake restoration projects.

· An addition to the 1999 Master Plan is the provision of a canoe/kayak launch site. Canoes and kayaks may be hand carried from the parking lot to a geo-web launch site at the lake edge as well as along Keowee Trail Road. · Existing wetlands are to be left in their natural state. Signage identifies specific areas and plants within this interpretive area.

· Picnic tables are in a designated picnic area behind Wendy's with trash receptacles and benches provided throughout the entire park trails. · Pedestrian lighting is designed to provide a safe environment but without over lighting. Great care is to be used to prevent excessive lighting for the residents and businesses looking into the park and to prevent unnecessary lighting into the above airspace. · Landscaping throughout the park is designed and planted to compliment existing vegetation and tree cover.

Project Overview Bidding for the construction of Phase II took place in the Spring of 2003 with Henley Jones Construction of Cheraw, SC being the low bid at $850,000.00. Construction of the Waterfront Park continued along despite cold and rainy weather. All boardwalk areas and observation decks over the waters of the lake and trails were completed. January 2004 saw the beginning of construction of the Waterfront Park parking lot on Keowee Trail Road. The lot is now complete. Constructed with NO TAX INCREASE. This was another Tax Increment Finance Capital Project assisted with City Hospitality Fee Revenues!

The waterfront park is open to the public year round. Information on use and reservations is available at Clemson Parks and Recreation, (864) 646-8755 or on link below: Facility Reservations and Fees

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City of Clemson
Phone: 864-653-2030 or email.
1250 Tiger Blvd. Suite 1 Clemson, SC 29631