West Point River Park Expands by 124 acres

The City of West Point’s Chattahoochee River greenway plan got a 124-acre boost today. Ten years after donating land for West Point River Park, The Trust for Public Land announced two new donations: 101 acres of land immediately north of the park; and a conservation easement over another adjacent 23 acres for the protection of its natural resources.

“The City of West Point is grateful for the generous donation of the latest tract of land by The Trust for Public Land. The shared goal of preserving this remarkable stretch of land along the Chattahoochee has been made possible by the strong relationship between the City and The Trust for Public Land. We look forward to future ventures that benefit the environment and the residents of our area,” said West Point Mayor Drew Ferguson.

The Trust for Public Land has a long history along the Chattahoochee River, having protected over 16,000 acres and 76 miles of river frontage from Helen to Columbus. Funding for the $814,000 acquisition and easement came from The Trust for Public Land’s Chattahoochee River Protection Program Fund. Thanks to the generosity of the landowners, the purchase price was nearly half the fair market value.

“The Chattahoochee is Georgia’s great river, and The Trust for Public Land has long been committed to improving public access to it,” said Doug Hattaway, The Trust for Public Land’s senior project manager. “We are grateful to our generous donors for entrusting us with improving public access to the Chattahoochee River. Without their support we could not have taken on the projects that comprise West Point River Park, much less donated them to the City.”

The City will integrate the additional parkland into the programming of West Point River Park with passive recreational opportunities. The City of West Point’s master parks plan envisions a public greenway on either side of the Chattahoochee River from the city to the West Point Dam Recreation Area. Access to the river also supports the goals of The Trust for Public Land’s Chattahoochee River Blueway campaign to create a paddling route along the river from West Point Lake to Columbus.