I just posted this at the end of the long Chouteau Lake thread. What about creating a Downtown St. Louis Marina in connection with the Chouteau lake or even by itself.



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" How about creating a marina connecting the lake to the Mississippi? I was just talking with my dad and he said that is the one thing he would like to see. The closest marina is way up in Alton, and think about the contribution that a marina could bring to downtown Stl. St. Louis could then be a host to the largest boat show anywhere but Ft. lauderdale and Miami being located right on the Mississippi. The marina/lake would only be walking distance to Busch, Union Station, Savvis. I think a marina connected to the river would bring much more vibrancy and revenue base to the city than just the lake and greenway alone. Think of the downtowns that have marinas located by them such as San Francisco with the bay behind the right field.



In addition, being an avid boater, I know that most people who do the curcuit of cruising down the Mississippi to New Orleans, around florida, up the intracoastal, and down through the great lakes and back, start that entire journey from St. Louis. Perhaps "Port St. Louis" could be a nationally known marina for embarking on this trip as well as for pleasure boaters who just want to keep their boat there. It could even include some hotel or residential development, maybe a few mini-high rise condo buildings.



Peronally I think this is one of the best ideas I have ever heard for downtown Stl, even though it came from my dad. WHat are your guys thoughts? "

^ I like that idea!

it sounds like a great idea, but i don't know if the river is open to recreational use near downtown (too much commercial traffic).

I'm sure if it's open to rec use since people travel recreationaly along the length of it. Maybe its just not open to pleasure boaters as it is up in the Alton pool.

What do you mean by saying DT is too dangerous for rec boating? Do you mean from the point of drinking and driving, or just the amount of people? I like hearing everyone's opinions.

I like the idea, but from what I have heard before, it doesn't work in the traditional setup, like Alton. The river is naturally very narrow through downtown, which speeds up the flow. It is also a curve, which speeds up the water and can make the current more tricky. The narrowness also squeezes commercial traffic, which also has to deal with several bridges. All making it more difficult for a marina to be built.

Too bad if it can't be done. A marina is a brilliant idea that would really add life and a new dimension to downtown and Choteau Lake. Just curious, if money were no object, is there any reason why the river in downtown St. Louis couldn't be changed. Is it being artificially squeezed and therefore fixable? When you go north of the downtown the river is much prettier with sand bars and a more natural look, yet it seems that barges can use it.

I think that it's a great idea and could be worked out logistically. On the east river front they are building a moat for the casino queen that will keep it off the main channel of the river, right? I think they could do the same thing, but the marina would have to be on the east side of the river, or a little north/south of Downtown. Either way I think they could make it work and it would be great.

From my understanding, the river in St. Louis is more turbulent because there isn't a Lock and Dam south of downtown. If money were no object and you could get the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, environmentalist, and the river industry to agree, I am sure something could be done. I think you would also be able to control the flood levels better, which help in revitalizing the riverfront as a whole. I don't know that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would allow it since it isn't needed to improve navigation, and would probably slow barge traffic down.

Apparently there is a creek that joins the river that could be used and widened to allow access to the lake/marina. I believe its actually Chouteau Creek or something like that.



About the current, I didn't really think about that. Any ideas?

Like I sort of hinted at in my initial post, I would think that if it is in a protected moat, the marina would work. Alton would be able to have a marina if the dam was not there, because the dike that goes out to one of the bridge piers offers protection from the river.

If you can take a boat from Miami to New York (and lots of other places) on the intracoastal highway, you would think they could figure out how to take a boat from St. Louis to Alton. On the Illinois side they have those horseshoe lakes, could they be developed into a network of connected waterways? Obviously, I know nothing about these things, but I would love to find a way to bring more recreational boating to the Mississippi in the St. Louis region. If everyday people could get out on the river, they would see the city and the region differently. It would be a tremendous help in getting the focus back where it belongs.

Well as I read in another post, the gov't has earmarked something like $6 billion ? for "Mega projects." Could a midwest intracoastal project be considered a "mega project?" There is a lot of boating acton on the rivers in tennessee, so how bout connecting that region, via the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, to Chicago, via the interconnected waterways you mention.