Lincoln Street Boat Launch and Stormwater Improvements

 Improve safety, accessibility and appearance of local multi-use park and hand-carry boat launch to increase public activity. 

 Improve safety, accessibility and appearance of local multi-use park and hand-carry boat launch to increase public activity. 

 Ecoraster® Bloxx: 

• Permeable pavers minimize puddling 

• Light colors reduce heat island effect 

• Filters pollutants and promotes stormwater infiltration into native soil 

Ecoraster® E40: 

• Drivable ground reinforcement 

• Rapid, three-step installation process 

Shoreblock® Articulated Concrete Blocks (ACBs): 

• Immediate slope reinforcement and permanent erosion control 

• No maintenance required 

The Lincoln Street Hand-carry Boat Launch sits just above the Saccarappa Falls and provides direct access to more than five miles of the Presumpscot River for hand-carry crafts, such as canoes and kayaks. The park containing the boat launch also includes a four-season sport rink, a parking lot and an access path connecting the parking lot to the boat launch. Stormwater runoff from Lincoln Street regularly puddled in the parking lot and carried pollutants into the river, eroding both the access path’s surface and the boat launch slopes, making the area less appealing to the general public. 

The City of Westbrook partnered with Ferguson Waterworks to develop a plan that would increase accessibility, usability and safety in the park. The city intended to create a permeable paver parking lot for shared use with the four-season sport rink, stabilize the boat launch and stabilize the access path to the river to afford better vehicular access to the boat launch while reducing erosion and improving drainage.

Ferguson Waterworks supported the city staff with concept plans for the parking lot that extended to the access path and boat launch. Ferguson associates worked alongside the city through the plan refinement and permitting stages and engaged with contractors to find a site-work contractor to complete the work. The contractor, Dearborn Brothers Construction, installed permeable pavers with a stone base and underdrain in the areas designated for parking spaces and conventional pavement in the drive aisles. In lieu of paint, parking lines were delineated using different colored Bloxx paver inserts. The access drive path leading to the boat launch used Ecoraster E40 pavers with stone infill to create a permeable but stable surface for pedestrians and vehicles. The boat launch slope was regraded and stabilized using Shoreblock ACBs to minimize erosion and create a stable smooth approach for paddlers.

The City of Westbrook initially contacted Ferguson Waterworks solely to provide permeable pavers for the parking lot surface. Experts from the Ferguson team in the green infrastructure and low-impact development space were able to provide a series of recommendations that elevated the project scope to expand usability and accessibility beyond the parking area. The Ferguson Waterworks team’s extensive knowledge of local regulations and green infrastructure design streamlined the permitting process. The locally based team also leveraged its network of area contractors to further condense the project timeline. With the project’s broadened scope, the Ferguson team was able to provide products that exceeded the city’s initial expectations for the park improvements.