While Cass County and the greater Dowagiac area is home to hundreds of miles of trails one can traverse by foot or bike, the county parks department is looking to install a different kind of path alongside the Dowagiac River.

Or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say on the Dowagiac River.

The Cass County Board of Commissioners approved a request by the parks department to pursue a $375,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources on Thursday, for the purposes of installing new improvements to Arthur Dodd Memorial Park.

Among the largest of these changes is the establishment of a water trail, or “blue trail,” on the Dowagiac River, with several launch spots, camping locations and interpretive signs running along its course, said Parks Director Scott Wyman.

“That’s what we’re planning on doing at Dodd,” Wyman said. “We’re planning on developing the first ever blue trail on the Dowagiac River, and Dodd will be the put-in spot.”

Among the components of this plan will be the installation of a new universally assessable kayak and canoe launch, along with a new bridge for the river crossing currently inside the park grounds.

The grant funding will come from the DNR’s Natural Resources Trust Fund, should the county’s proposal be approved. The parks department unsuccessfully applied for monies from the fund last year as well to install a series of new cabins, restrooms, and other facilities at the park, located near the county line outside of Niles.

These improvements join the new, river-related ones on this year’s request. The increased focus on accessibility to natural resources should improve the county’s odds of receiving funding this go-around, Wyman said.

“If you can develop something to do with a trail, you get 50 points [scoring] automatically, because that is a priority for the trust fund,” Wyman said.

These new Dodd Park facilities have been something the county has been seeking to put in place for the last several years. All of the listed improvements were laid out several years ago, when the county developed a master plan for future developments at Dodd Park, Wyman said.

“Someone asked me ‘before you leave the parks department, what you would you like to see,’” Wyman said. “Simply put, I would like to see our facilities match the beauties of our parks. We all agree that they’re breathtaking but our facilities need to be upgraded. This is a step in that direction.”

Should their proposal be approved by the DNR, the department will receive $277,500 for the work. The county is required to match 26 percent of the application, in the amount of $97,500.

The department should know whether they are approved for the grant by late fall, Wyman said.