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VERA CRUZ PADDLESPORT LAUNCH PROJECT
Creating Opportunities for Kayaking, Canoeing, Paddleboarding, Floating down the Wabash River
Donor Highlight!
Indiana Housing and Community Development Corporation - $50,000
Wells County Foundation - $40,000
Wells County Government -$24,600
Caylor Nickel Foundation - $10,000
Gold Level Sponsors
AARP
Town of Vera Cruz
Silver Level Sponsors
Blake & Fawn Gerber
First Bank of Berne
Blake & Taye Fiechter
Bronze Level Sponsors
Northeast Indiana Water Trails
Edge Manufacturing
National Oil & Gas
Bertsch Frank & Associates
John Whicker
The Clarence & Geneva Croy Family
Padde Sponsors
Paddlefish Solar Project
Michael & Debbie Lautzenheiser
Hiday Automotive Group
Kent & Jan Ringger
Coldwell Banker Holloway
Taylor & Krystal Aschliman
Ringger Soft Water Inc
Huffman Group Real Estate
Todd & Brandy Fiechter
Andrew Springer
Eyecare Associates of Bluffton
Current Sponsors
John Abnet in dedication to LaNae and her love and dedication to the rivers
Michelle & Brad Baumgartner
The Shively Family
Ag Express Electronics
Thomas Miller
Friend of the River Sponsors
George Babcock
Gener & Darlene Reinhard
Mr. & Mrs. Krick
Thelma Studebaker
Michael & Bri Lautzenheiser
Jalinda & Andrew Pursifull
Monasue Coffield
Barbara Barbieri
Lori & David Smith
Kathy Gehrett
Quinn & Kathy Curry
Ed and Rhonda Maller
Nat & Juanita Bryan
Ted & Marge Ellis
Kevin Wentz
Moose Lodge Bluffton 242
Donate Today!
Any size donation will help make this project possible. You can make a cash or check contribution to the project by mailing or dropping them off at the Wells County Community Foundation at 222 W Market St, Bluffton, IN 46714.
What is the Vera Cruz Paddlesports Launch Project?
The Vera Cruz Kayak Launch Project is the combined efforts of the Town of Vera Cruz, Indiana, Bluffton Kayak and Hiking Club, Wells County Commissioners, and Wells County Trails to install a paddlesports launch location directly downstream of the SR 301 bridge over the Wabash River. The project will include a stone parking lot, 12 foot access driveway, and concrete kayak launch ramp. The goal is to match the amenities at the White Bridge regarding ease of access to the river.
Where is the Project Located At?
The project is located in Vera Cruz, Indiana on the northwest side of the SR 301 bridge. The project is loaded approximately halfway between the existing launch sites at Linn Grove, Indiana in Adams County, and at the White Bridge east of Bluffton, Indiana in Wells County. Click this link to go to an interactive map showing the existing and proposed paddlesports launch sites in our immediate area.
Project Timeline
Why is this Project Important?
The Vera Cruz Paddlesport Launch is expected to be installed in the summer/fall of 2024. We have received the necessary permits and approvals with help from Engineering Resources, Miller Land Surveying, and Three Rivers Wetland Consultants to develop this project.
The Vera Cruz Kayak Launch Project is important in 3 main ways to our community. First it creates a key access point along the Wabash River that splits the kayak trip in half between the improved kayak launch point at Linn Grove and the kayak launch point at the White Bridge (450 E). This creates two easily achievable kayak trips along the Wabash River. The trips being from Linn Grove to Vera Cruz, Vera Cruz to the White Bridge, White Bridge to Main Street Bridge, Main Street Bridge to Rose Rd. (Future Launch Point), and Rose Road to Markle. The second way this project is important to our community is that it promotes more people to interact with our waterways and the health of our local ecosystem. Whether you are on the river to get exercise, to check out our communities natural beauty, or to go fishing being out in the water raises the awareness of water quality and land resource preservation. The healthier the Wabash River is the more useful it is to our community as a resource. Thirdly, this project will help to keep the recent growth in kayaking and recreation on the Wabash River that we have seen over the past couple years. Providing another high quality access point along the Wabash River will make it easier and more enjoyable for more people to get to enjoy the sport of kayaking and the great resource that we have in the Wabash River. Having this as a resource will act as a quality of life improvement for our community and a tourism driver for people who travel to enjoy using different rivers in Indiana. Having an active waterway is a a great way to grow our community and utilize our natural resources.
Why Now?
Wells County and Wells County Trails combined efforts to work on goals for trails and kayaking for our community in the Wells County Vision 2035 Comprehensive Plan. The goal is to complete as many of these goals as possible before 2035. We were able to obtain the necessary property, design work, and permits to start this project. Wells County Trails is hoping to complete this project and then work to do similar work on the Salamonie River on the south side of our county. We are excited to see this project move to completion and open the door for more outdoor recreation opportunities within our community.
How can I help?
Share about the Vera Cruz Kayak Launch project with your friends and family in person and on social media! You can also help by considering making a financial gift to Wells County Trails, Inc. Wells County Trails, Inc. is part of the Wells County Revitalization which is a not-for-profit 501c(3) organization. You can make a cash or check donation to Wells County Trails, Inc. by mailing it or dropping it off to the Wells County Foundation - Attn: Wells County Trails, Inc. at 222 W. Market St., Bluffton, IN 46714
Donation Information
Vera Cruz Kayak Launch Ask Document
Donate Online Today!
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