Fishing pier gets built at Carson River Park

A fishing pier took shape this week on the west bank of Carson River Park.

The deck went down Saturday and Sunday with railing expected to go up in the next two weeks. The handicap accessible pier should be ready for fisherman by the end of the month, said Vern Krahn, a planner at the Carson City Parks and Recreation Department.

Among the fishermen trolling off the pier will be Matt Kaylor, who spent the weekend installing the deck. His construction company, KB FAR Construction of Carson City had the sub-contract for the decking.

Kaylor and two employees used Trex planks made in Fernley. Trex uses recycled plastic garbage bags and sawdust to produce durable, low maintenance planks.

Trex only started manufacturing in Fernley in summer 1999.

The pier is 29 feet across and measures about 500 square feet.

Carson River Park users who haven't visited the rustic setting in recent months will be in for a surprise when they go back.

Paragon Associates recently installed a paved parking lot for about 20 vehicles. A portapotty will go into a small gazebo.

"We want to give the public more of a developed access to the river," Krahn said.

The $95,000 Carson River Park project is funded with Question 18 quarter-cent sales tax revenue approved by voters in 1996. The pier accounts for about $20,000 of the total, Krahn said.

The river itself has also seen work recently. Hug boulders, known as riprap, was installed on the bank to stabilize the bank. Riprap is designed to prevent floodwaters from tearing away the bank.

This week will see the start of work on a basin to keep sediment stirred up my motorcyclists from getting into the river, Krahn said.