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Resident asks commission to press DPW to reopen or improve Severance Bridge river access
Summary
A resident asked the commission to request the Department of Public Works re-assess and repair the longstanding blocked boating access at Severance Bridge so kayakers and canoeists can use a valued stretch of the Souhegan River.
At the March 24 meeting, George May raised concerns about the condition and closure of the Severance Bridge boating access on the Souhegan River and asked the Merrimack Conservation Commission to support asking the Department of Public Works (DPW) to reassess repairs or restoration.
May said the site "has always been a boat access" used historically for canoes and now for kayaks but that the current condition makes it "almost impossible to get out of there" and that the site appears blocked by Jersey barriers. He urged DPW to repair rainwater-induced damage on the slope, allow the Boy Scouts or other volunteers to add steps, and restore a safe take-out.
Commissioners said they could present the concern to DPW for reassessment but could not take an official vote because the item was not on the published agenda. One commissioner noted DPW had previously determined the grade and cost made repair impractical under earlier assessments by then-DPW director Kyle, but members agreed technology and methods change and DPW should be asked to "circle back" and re-evaluate whether repairs are now feasible.
May and commissioners discussed an alternate access on conservation land at Fields Farm but May warned that a remote parking lot could raise theft and security concerns. Commissioners noted Fields Farm is still in conceptual planning and that the Severance Bridge access is nearer-term and already established.
No formal action was taken; the commission agreed to bring the issue to DPW and request another assessment and report back to the commission.
