Scoggins Valley Park Accessibility Improvements | BOR PN 17 N014

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR PN 17 N014

The Scoggins Valley Park Accessibility Improvements grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number BOR PN 17 N014) is a Bureau of Reclamation program focused on upgrading public access features at Henry Hagg Reservoir, also known as Scoggins Valley Park, in Washington County, Oregon. The park is owned by the US Bureau of Reclamation and operated by Washington County Parks, and the proposal centers on four Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements meant to make high-use recreation areas safer and easier to navigate for visitors of all abilities. The work is planned to occur during the period from 7/1/2017 through 6/30/2020, with Reclamation expected to play a limited role beyond normal federal oversight such as performance monitoring and providing technical assistance if requested.

The project’s largest components are two new ADA-accessible restroom solutions using vault toilet designs, chosen specifically to address maintenance and utility constraints at busy sites currently relying on portable toilets. The first restroom improvement targets the north end of the C-Ramp Recreation Area, a heavily visited 28-acre destination that includes the park’s most popular boat launch, picnic pavilion, concessions (snack and boat rentals), trails, picnic tables, and a large open area where visitors access the water for swimming and wading. Although restrooms exist elsewhere at C-Ramp, the north end near the fishing pier is effectively underserved and has depended on year-round portable toilets that are described as costly, difficult to maintain, and challenging to use. The nearest permanent restroom requires traveling more than one-tenth of a mile through a large, busy parking lot. By placing an ADA-accessible vault toilet near the fishing pier, ADA parking stalls, and accessible picnic amenities, the project aims to reduce travel distance, improve safety by minimizing parking-lot conflicts, and provide a cleaner, more reliable restroom option for the general public.

A separate ADA circulation fix at C-Ramp addresses a mismatch between distance and accessibility. The southernmost restroom is physically close to the south parking lot (about 56 feet from the parking apron), but a steep, rugged slope and the absence of an accessible route force visitors, including those using mobility devices, to detour at least one-tenth of a mile through the parking lot to reach an ADA-compliant path back to the restroom. The project proposes constructing a new ADA path or ramp that directly connects the south parking lot to the restroom, creating a shorter, safer, and genuinely accessible route that eliminates the current out-of-direction travel and reduces exposure to vehicle traffic.

The second restroom improvement is located at the Elks Recreation Area, another popular fishing location where an existing restroom building has been closed for years. The closure occurred because there is no water source available to support flush toilets, leaving portable restrooms as the year-round stopgap. The grant-funded plan is to remove the outdated, visually unattractive structure and replace it with a modern ADA-accessible vault toilet, which would provide dependable service without requiring a water connection. This change is intended to improve visitor comfort, reduce ongoing costs and operational hassles tied to portable toilets, and deliver a permanent facility that better matches the level of use at the site.

The fourth improvement is the installation of a new ADA-compliant entrance sign for Henry Hagg Reservoir. Despite the reservoir reportedly receiving more annual visitors than Crater Lake National Park, the park does not currently have an entrance sign. The new sign would follow ADA signage standards and guidelines to ensure readability and accessibility, while also meeting Bureau of Reclamation requirements and displaying both the USBOR and Washington County Parks logos. In practical terms, the sign is meant to improve wayfinding and create a clearer, more welcoming first point of contact for all visitors, including those who benefit from accessible design features such as high-contrast text, appropriate character sizing, and standardized layout.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is categorized as a mandatory grant within the Natural Resources activity area and is associated with CFDA number 15.524. Eligible applicants are county governments, aligning with Washington County Parks as the managing entity. The posting lists an award ceiling of $100,000 and an original application closing date of 2017-09-08, indicating a targeted, project-specific funding round designed to deliver defined accessibility upgrades rather than a broad planning effort.

• The Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Scoggins Valley Park Accessibility Improvements" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.524.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-25.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-09-08. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: County governments.

Apply for BOR PN 17 N014

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