Friends of the Lower Appomattox River

By 1elcoley

Published: August 24, 2008

Slideshow
See the sites along the river Campbell’s Bridge in Petersburg

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See the sites at Appomattox Riverside Park in Petersburg

• See PDF map of Appomattox River [580kb]

PETERSBURG - Paddlers no longer are the only ones who can enjoy the scenic beauty of the Appomattox River. Thanks to a local group’s efforts, new pathways are making the river accessible to almost everyone.

The nonprofit Friends of the Lower Appomattox River is working with localities to develop a 22-mile series of land and water trails from Lake Chesdin to Hopewell, running through the counties of Dinwiddie, Chesterfield and Prince George, and the cities of Petersburg, Colonial Heights and Hopewell.

“We’re showing folks of the area that a regional project can be accomplished,“ said Richard Taylor, a lifelong Petersburg resident and member of the Friends of the Lower Appomattox River.

The parks are a great resource for regional tourism and to help showcase the Tri-Cities area, Taylor said. “The Appomattox is a well-kept secret. It seems like a lot of paddlers and fishermen had been keeping it to themselves, but the [Crater] people knew what was there and needed a way to get it fixed up.“

The most popular recreational section of the river is the 5-mile falls of the Appomattox—a state-designated scenic river corridor that begins just east of the dam at Lake Chesdin and ends at Campbell’s Bridge, which separates Petersburg and Ettrick.

The Friends group’s most recent effort was two steel bridges along the south shore of the river just west of Campbell’s Bridge.

The first bridge spans about 80 feet across the rapids to a rocky island and the second spans about 40 feet back to the shoreline. The project, which cost about $150,000, makes it possible for visitors to continue on a 3.6-mile trail along the dry canals and towpaths upriver to Petersburg’s Appomattox Riverside Park, historically known as Old Ferndale Park.

“The Battersea bridges site is the most significant project that we have undertaken,“ said Wayne Walton, a member of the group and a Hopewell city councilman.

Concrete piers had to be installed on each side of the bridges which created plenty of work clearing underbrush, laying gravel for the trail and removing many years worth of uncollected litter and debris. 

“We had a lot of volunteers come out to make this happen, and it really has turned out to be a beautiful site on the river,“ Walton said.The area, known to most paddlers as Pipeline, is popular with and river-goers and the bridges make it easier to watch the action up-close.

It has not been given an official name, but using some form of “Battersea” makes sense to Taylor and Walton, and the Friends of the Lower Appomattox will have input in the naming. 

“It’s a great recreational spot,“ said Petersburg City Manager B. David Canada. He praised the work of the group and other volunteers involved in the improvements along the Appomattox.

“It’s an indication of the value of river and how much people love it,“ Canada said. “We think that [the river] will be a key feature in the ongoing revitalization of downtown Petersburg.“

Just west of the bridges along the walking trail are two stone arches. They are remains of the Battersea Cotton Mill, which dates back to the 1840s. Another half a mile away and further south of the trail is Petersburg’s historic Battersea, the home of Col. John Banister, Petersburg’s first mayor and one of America’s Founding Fathers. Though the sites all share the name Battersea, they are not related. 

Taylor said the group hopes to eventually connect the Battersea site with Old Towne Petersburg, but acknowledges it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon.“We hope that the trail would help connect the Battersea site with Old Towne Petersburg.“ 

Friends of the Lower Appomattox was formed by the Crater Planning District Commission’s regional plan to clean up and restore the natural beauty of the lower Appomattox river through improvements to existing parks and the creation of new parks and trails.

The group has about 40 members with more than 150 people on its volunteer list. Building materials are usually donated, Taylor said, but for some projects the group needs skilled labor, such as carpenters, masons and surveyors. Those costs are covered primarily with donations and contributions from corporate sponsors.

The group’s first project in 2003 was the 50-acre Appomattox River Regional Park in Prince George County.

“The property sat there since 1991 when the jail was built,“ Walton said. “We discovered it in 2003 and it was FOLAR’s kickoff project.“

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Wayne Walton talks about the Appomattox River Regional Park in Prince George County

The park is the first on the river for Prince George and was created with about $500,000 through a partnership of the Friends of the Lower Appomattox, the county and Riverside Regional Jail.

“This park is destined to be one of the very best in the area and one of the best regional parks,“ said Walton, who is also a Hopewell city councilman.

The park has wooded trails and an observation pier on the Appomattox.

“FOLAR has been a very good partner,“ said Keith Rotzoll of the Prince George County Parks and Recreation Department. “They were able to do a lot of the labor.“

There are plans to extend the park to the west, which would increase to more than 80 acres. An regional education center with a classroom and restrooms also are planned, Rotzoll said.

Other projects the group has worked on along the Appomattox include:

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Wayne Walton talks about the Appomattox River Trailhead in Hopewell

• Appomattox River Trailhead in downtown Hopewell, a 2-acre park with a beach on Copeland Bay at the confluence of the James and Appomattox rivers. It is the resurrection of old City Park and plays into Hopewell’s plans to develop the waterfront. The entire site was cleaned up after more than 30 years of neglect, and the park is now part of a walking trail that leads to Appomattox Manor at City Point.

• Appomattox Riverside Park in Petersburg, known as Old Ferndale Park. Site of an amusement park in the early 1900s, this linear park includes 2 miles of scenic pathways along the old towpath of the Upper Appomattox Canal. The group has helped with cleanups and events and hopes to help improve the take-out for paddlers.

• Appomattox River Heritage Trail walking paths on Pocahontas Island in Petersburg.

The group believes it can achieve its goal of a 22-mile walking trail, though members acknowledge it will be difficult to overcome some obstacles, such as private land ownership and railroad rights-of-way.

“We’re over halfway on the land trails, and the water trails are done,“ Walton said. “There isn’t a time limit or anything, we’re just trying to get the projects complete according to the plan.“

Contact Phil Riggan at (804) 649-6037 or .