TPWD approves Belton outdoor grant

Tuesday, 05 February 2013 by Matthew Girard

Outdoor water sport enthusiasts in the area will soon be able to use Nolan Creek through Belton as a place to have a new adventure after the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department awarded a grant to Belton for a proposal to add recreational water features to the creek.

Last Thursday, the TPW Commission awarded the $100,000-matching grant for the Nolan Creek Recreational project, which will help pay for the removal of two low water crossings in the downtown area and put in and takeout locations for people who want to use the creek for kayaking or tubing.

"This is a satisfying development for all the people that have worked a long time on this," City of Belton Public Information Officer Paul Romer said.

The recreation proposal also features trails, picnics tables, a horseshoe court, exercise stations, two acres of open space, creek improvements, an amphitheater, landscaping and interpretive signs.

One of the stipulations of the grant was that the city match the $100,000 and with the help of H-E-B of CGI, who both donated $50,000 each, Belton's application was the top scoring project statewide.

"This announcement is a great thing," Mayor Jim Covington said. "This pus us real close to being able to start and complete phase one of the project. It's an exciting thing that we'll be able to have some water recreation on Nolan Creek very soon."

The project includes put in and takeout locations from Ninth Avenue to Confederate Park. The first phase will likely be limited to an area within the low water crossings near the Harris Community Center and City Hall, according to the City.

"The next step is to get with Parks and Wildlife," Romer said. "We've got a preliminary plan of what's going to be happening on the creek, but we do need to get with them and finalize that plan."

Romer said construction on the first phase of the project will be underway by the end of this year.

Belton was one of just 10 cities in the state to receive the TPWD Outdoor Recreation grants. In all, TPWD approved $1.3 million in grants. Others cities included were, Granite Shoals, Jarrell, Center, Hays County, La Feria, Corpus Christi, Bedford, Brownwood and San Benito.

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