Tuscarawas River Water Trail wins award for MWCD
The Tuscarawas River Water Trail is a 112.5-mile-long stretch of the river that takes paddlers through the center of urban living to the peaceful rural escapes while passing historical sites and natural landscapes along the way.
Ohio Parks and Recreation Association announced its 2020 annual Awards of Excellence winners, and locally, the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District won a first-place award in the Natural Resources & Conservation category for the Tuscarawas River Water Trail project.
The Tuscarawas River Water Trail was officially designated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on Aug. 14. The water trail begins in Summit County near Barberton, where the river becomes wide enough for a boat. It then flows south through Stark, Tuscarawas and Coshocton counties before joining the Walhonding River near the city of Coshocton to form the Muskingum River.
The Tuscarawas River Water Trail is a 112.5-mile-long stretch of the river that takes paddlers through the center of urban living to the peaceful rural escapes while passing historical sites and natural landscapes along the way.
For paddlers looking for a quick jaunt between towns or a longer trip through quiet stretches of nature, the Tuscarawas River has it all. The Tuscarawas River Water Trail meets up with the 112-mile-long Muskingum River Water Trail in the city of Coshocton, for a total of 224.5 miles of designated water trail.
Paddlers seeking overnight trips or longer can enjoy over 200 miles of designated water trail with camping options along the way. To request a copy of the water trail map, visit www.mwcd.org/TuscWaterTrail.
The Tuscarawas River is a community resource and tourist destination, attracting paddlers from around the region and state. Creating a water trail, using this naturally and historically significant body of water, involved the partnership of many agencies, all of which continue to contribute to the access and maintenance of the river.
The water trail project would not have been possible without the MWCD and Rural Action’s Middle Tuscarawas River Watershed Office. The water trail will continue through the work of the managing partners of the Tuscarawas River Water Trail: Summit Metro Parks, Stark Parks, Lawrence Township, City of Dover, Tuscarawas County Park Department, City of New Philadelphia, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Village of Tuscarawas, Village of Gnadenhutten, ODNR — Division of Wildlife and City of Coshocton.
“MWCD is proud to accept this award on behalf of all our partners who worked countless hours to meet the stringent requirements to be considered a water trail,” said Craig Butler, executive director for MWCD. “We are excited to welcome visitors to explore the over 200 miles of paddling through some of Ohio’s best and most beautiful communities and natural areas.”
The OPRA annual Awards of Excellence will be presented at a banquet hosted by the association on April 28 at the Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky.
One first-place award winner will be presented with the 2020 Governor’s Award for Parks and Recreation, a best-in-show award that includes a $500 contribution to the parks and recreation foundation of the agency winner.
“Parks and recreation professionals throughout Ohio work every day to improve the quality of life of the people they serve,” OPRA executive director Woody Woodward said. “This effort is a shining example of that kind of work, and we are pleased to be able to present this award.”
The awards are judged by a panel of parks and recreation professionals from around Ohio.