WESTBROOK

Kirtland Landing will be further improved this August, with a new pre-cast boat ramp. The boat launch, off Old Clinton Road (State Route 145), will be closed during ramp replacement, from approximately Monday, Aug. 15 to Thurdsay, Aug. 25 for safety and efficiency reasons.

Owned by the Town of Westbrook, the landing is an important access point to the Menunketsuck River, Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge, and Long Island Sound. It is listed on the state's official coastal access guide and website and popular with kayakers, crabbers, anglers, and other recreationists. Just 2,000 feet upstream of McKinney Refuge, it is an ideal starting point for exploring the refuge’s salt marshes and enjoying wildlife-dependent recreation.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the refuge, partnered with the Town and the Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division of the FHWA to restore the landing. This $170,000 project has already expanded parking, stabilized about 2,000 square feet of riverbank, created a streamside buffer of native vegetation, and created a park-like setting.

Service staff will post project updates to the refuge’s Facebook page, facebook.com/SBMcKinneyNWR.