New docks at Schwatka Lake are ready for takeoff.
City council voted to add $43,000 to the budget to pay for two new docks at Schwatka Lake on May 23.
The additional money for the project will come from the federal gas tax and Canada 150 community infrastructure programs.
The new docks are part of the Schwatka Lake area plan implementation project, which will also see the plane launch in the same area rebuilt. Council had already budgeted $80,000 for the project.
The plane and boat launch — a concrete slab in the water — had become worn and cracked, with rebar sticking out at one end. It was identified in 2015 as a priority for repair, said city planner Erica Beasley.
“It was just old,” she said. “I think it was built in the 1960s. It just reached the end of its service life.”
“We are replacing it because it is no longer safe for public use.”
The city will also be adding a boat tie to the docks there, to avoid potential conflicts with planes, Beasley said.
One of the new docks will be on the western shore of Schwatka Lake, with the new plane launch. The other will be on the eastern side, at the recreation and day use site. This area is popular with boaters and the city is installing the additional dock to reduce congestion, she said.
The plane launch is expected to be completed by the end of June. The two new docks have not yet gone to tender, but are expected to be installed by the end of summer.
Contact Lori Garrison at lori.garrison@yukon-news.com