Planned upgrades shutter waterway
These days, only a strong breeze ruffles the Cooper River where rowers, sailors, and water enthusiasts once thrived. Activity has been suspended on the bustling Camden County waterway in the latest Cooper River Park improvement phase, which includes dredging.
These days, only a strong breeze ruffles the Cooper River where rowers, sailors, and water enthusiasts once thrived.
Activity has been suspended on the bustling Camden County waterway in the latest Cooper River Park improvement phase, which includes dredging.
The project is expected to be completed by spring and drastically change the landscape and add new amenities around the popular 374-acre attraction.
Work is underway on a new restaurant to be operated by a celebrity chef and other changes that officials hope will draw more visitors to an area that already pumps millions into the local economy.
The project, originally scheduled to begin in early 2014, was delayed by design changes and remediation recommended by the state, said Camden County Freeholder Jeffrey L. Nash.
Because of the changes - primarily to a dredging project - officials decided to postpone work until the fall to avoid disrupting the 2015 spring rowing season. Cooper River is home to a number of national and collegiate rowing championships.
"It's designed to go through the winter and be ready for the spring regatta season," Nash said. "We're optimistic we will be able to meet that time line."
The dredging is part of the county's plan to improve Cooper River Park and the western side of the river abutting Route 130.
The "Vision Plan" includes new public restrooms, bike lanes, picnic areas, walkways, docks, and a stadium. A new eatery is expected to open early next year in the former Lobster Trap.
The 6,572-square-foot restaurant on the river's Pennsauken banks has been named the Cooper House. It will be operated by restaurateur Kevin Meeker and Tony Clark, a renowned chef at the Valley Forge Casino Resort who has cooked for President Bill Clinton and Bruce Springsteen.
The dredging is expected to cost $3.5 million to $5 million. The Delaware River Port Authority and state Green Acres program are putting up the funding.
Community activist Tom Knoche of Westmont said the county has invested $23 million on the stretch of Cooper between Cuthbert Boulevard in Cherry Hill and Route 130 in Pennsauken, while ignoring a greenway along the river in Camden.
Known as Gateway Park, the area is a lush expanse of grass and trees west of Route 130 and on the south side of the Admiral Wilson Boulevard. It is largely inaccessible.
"There needs to be parity in spending along the whole length of Cooper," Knoche said.
The county has not committed any funding for the urban park. The Delaware River Port Authority owns the land, and an ambitious development plan has gone nowhere.
For several years, the county considered dredging the portion of Cooper River Park east of Route 130 to upgrade rowing conditions and improve water quality by removing contaminated sediment at the bottom of the river.
After weeks of preliminary work on the banks to prepare a staging area, dredging is expected to begin soon and take several months, officials said.
Muck and debris in the Cooper made it difficult for boaters to navigate the river, officials said. Debris also posed hazards that could cause thousands of dollars in damage to watercraft.
After dredging is completed, work will begin to restore the riverbanks and install buffers to reduce erosion and flooding.
"We anticipate, barring any unforeseen problems, that the lake should be open and ready to be used some time in April 2016," county parks director Frank Moran said. February to mid-July is the busiest time for rowing on the Cooper.
The work means that a number of high schools and Rutgers-Camden cannot train on the river this fall. A flashing electronic sign says, "No boating on the river until further notice."
But the rowing community is excited about the expected result: a deeper, safer, and cleaner river for boating, kayaking, and paddling.
"It's going to be a much more welcoming venue," said Jamie Stack, who manages the Cooper River Boathouse and is head coach of the South Jersey Rowing Club. "It's going to help all activities."
Based on a 2004 Rowan University economic study, Camden County estimates regattas on the Cooper generate $10 million a year for the local economy through hotel stays, team dinners, and the like.
The Scholastic Rowing Association of America holds its national championship on the Cooper, as well as U.S. Rowing. The Intercollegiate Rowing Association has held collegiate championships there.
Stack said the South Jersey Rowing Club, which has about 40 high school members, was training on the Schuylkill. He said that posed a minor transportation convenience.
Dredging will open up the river and even out shallow lanes, Stack said. The sixth lane was in the worst condition and eventually would have become unusable, he said.
"It was tough to win a race out of that lane," Stack said. "Everybody knew that you weren't getting a good lane."
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