Boating on the Mahoning

[Towntalk]

I really do hate to keep bringing up the river back home, but it is an example of just what can be accomplished if given half a try. That river is wider and deeper than the Mahoning River, and from Spring to Fall there is boating on it, and on several occassions each year there are events held.

[AllanY2525]

One of the boaters said the other day that the water of the Mahoning has cleared up to the point where you can see bottom. The thing is that the river should be dredged and all the dams removed.

You're absolutely right.... several years ago there was talk of bringing in the Army Corps.
of engineers to dredge the bottom of the river and dump clean fill, sand, etc to re-do the
riverbottom and banks.

The estimated at that time that over 80% of the toxic sludge in the river is just behind
two low-rise dams built by the steel companies back in the day - one of them is the
lower Girard dam if I am remembering correctly.

The stuff on the riverbed at the bottom has been covered over by years worth of
sand and silt and it's not hazardous unless it's dug up and disturbed.

[Towntalk]

One of the boaters said the other day that the water of the Mahoning has cleared up to the point where you can see bottom. The thing is that the river should be dredged and all the dams removed.

[sfc_oliver]

I see Kayaks putting in here in Lowellville all the time. They have their chase Vehicles somewhere near Downtown Youngstown....

[AllanY2525]

I hope that when the Amphitheater project gets finished, the city will look at boating on
the Mahoning as a possibility.  The waters of the river have cleaned up a whole lot in the
years since the mills shut down - I wouldn't swim in them but boating would be okay.

[Towntalk]

http://allthingsyoungstown.net/articles/steamboats_on_the_mahoning.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpX0mPSYMC8

[Towntalk]

RIVERBOAT YOUNGSTOWN HAULED PASSANGERS UP AND DOWN THE MAHONING RIVER IN 1895 TO AN OLD AMUSEMENT PARK THAT WAS LOCATED AT THE SPOT WHERE MILL CREEK FLOWS INTO THE MAHONING RIVER

THE MAHONING PLEASURE BOAT COMPANY RENTED BOATS TO FISHERMEN WHO FISHED IN THE MAHONING RIVER. THE MAHONING PLEASURE BOAT COMPANY WAS LOCATED NEXT TO THE SPRING COMMON BRIDGE. THIS MEANS THAT THE BUSINESS WAS IN DOWNTOWN YOUNGSTOWN.

[Towntalk]

People today think that they are doing something special boating on the Mahoning River .... BALDERDASH .... HOGWASH .... PIFFLE!  There is nothing new about it and here are TWO pictures to prove it!