Project Overview
Named after two close friends (both named Jim), Jims’ Landing is a popular recreational site offering access to the Kenai River above Skilak Lake in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge. The aging landing had become difficult to use due to high water conditions, crowded on- and offshore conditions, and a chaotic parking area. The landing is within the 100-year floodplain on the north outer bank of the Kenai River, which is prone to erosion.
PND’s design improved the parking areas, signage, traffic, pedestrian flow, eroding riverbank adjacent to the road, and the boat launch/takeout area while protecting wetland and riparian habitats. The design expanded the existing parking lot, improved ramp conditions/surfacing, replaced the existing vault restroom facility, and included a new off-site parking lot, pedestrian pathways, and boardwalk.
Our Role
- Civil Engineering: expanded the site and provided design to allow for efficient parking, traffic flow, and overall use of the boat ramp; due to the site’s location in the floodplain, PND designed permanent erosion protection around the area to protect the pavement and other site improvements.
- Hydrology & Hydraulics: used hydraulic model SRH-2D to assess floodplain extents and overland velocities to inform placement of infrastructure and design of erosion protection; PND also used the 2D model to optimize the ramp location and orientation, providing reduced velocities for boaters coming in to land.
- Land Surveying: collected nearly 100 acres of bathymetric and topographic data in and along the river to support design and hydraulic analysis.
- Environmental Consulting: provided comprehensive wildlife, fisheries, vegetation studies, and NEPA analyses, as well as environmental permitting for protecting wetland and riparian habitats.
Supporting Community Recreation & Habitat Conservation
Jims’ Landing is a busy site that offers important community access to the Kenai River, and PND ensured the public had a voice in the project’s outcome. PND’s work included site design, improvements to traffic flow and ramp operations, boat ramp design, site drainage design, and permanent erosion control, including 550 feet of bioengineered riverbank stabilization. Along with design development, PND provided survey services and comprehensive NEPA analysis, public involvement, and environmental permitting to protect wetland and riparian habitats at this heavily used recreational facility.
“PND’s effort throughout the contract was thorough and forward-thinking. They were able to foresee potential issues from either the public during the NEPA process or the permitting agencies during design and mitigate issues exceptionally well. PND found the right solution for all stakeholders’ interests. PND added value to the project by figuring out a way to make the boat ramp a little safer with a slower water eddy area while still minimizing the effects on the wetlands.”
Visitors
per year
Lanes
for boat launch and retrieval
Feet
of articulated concrete mat for boat landing and staging
Feet
of upstream bioengineered bank stabilization
