During its Jan. 8 meeting, Washington’s City Council ratified a resolution supporting Sound Rivers seeking a $15,000 grant to cover engineering and installation of kayak launches at Havens Gardens and Mason’s Landing.

“The project will be matched by Sound Rivers and they will be responsible for the implementation and supervision of the installation and the kayak launches. This will be a joint venture with Sound Rivers because the two proposed locations are owned by the City of Washington. Sound Rivers will be responsible for the grant writing, project cost and supervision of the installation,” wrote City Manager Bobby Roberson in a memorandum to the mayor and council members.

Heather Jacobs Deck, executive director of Sound Rivers, said the grant application is set to be reviewed in March, with funding decision likely coming in April. Deck said permits are being sought for the project. Some complications with other funding requests are being dealt with, Deck said, adding Sound Rivers hopes to hav the two launches completed sometime this year.

Sound Rivers is seeking the funds from the Water Resources Development Grant Program, which provides cost-share grants and technical assistance to local governments throughout the state. Grants are awarded to achieve seven purposes: general navigation, recreational navigation, water management, stream restoration, land acquisition and facility development for water-based recreation, feasibility/engineering studies and stream restoration projects under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program, which is overseen by the department’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

During its 2011 session, the North Carolina General Assembly placed a 50-percent matching limit on Water Resources Development Grant Program projects.

The two launches would be part of the Tar-Pamlico River Water Trail. The launches would be the first universally accessible launches on the trail, according to the resolution. The city accepts responsibility for operating and maintaining the launches, according to the resolution.

Sound Rivers is a nonprofit entity that guards the health of the Tar-Pamlico River and Neuse River basins.