Riverview Boat Ramp Reopens With New Pier After Months of Work

The Riverview boat ramp on the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa has reopened with a new access pier, where city and state leaders celebrated with a Tuesday ribbon-cutting.

Riverview Landing, on 7th Avenue Northeast in Tuscaloosa behind the Bluff apartments, closed temporarily in May for the pier work. The facility also got a new launching slab in 2024, and the city paved the parking lot last year.

The ceremony also marked improvements at two other ramps nearby on the Black Warrior. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources worked with Tuscaloosa County to repave the lot at the Foster's Ferry boat ramp, about 10 miles southwest of Tuscaloosa, and fix its drainage problems. At the Moundville ramp, crews replaced the launching slab and reoriented it to make loading and unloading easier and to cut down on damage from bigger boats.

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"Alabama is blessed with incredible freshwater resources and deserves the best quality boating and fishing access for our outdoor recreation community," said ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship in a press release. "Working with our partners at the state and local level these upgrades have greatly improved the boating and angling experience for the local community and those who travel to enjoy the Black Warrior River."

Mayor Walt Maddox said the work opens up one of the city's best natural assets.

"The investment in the Riverview boat ramp creates even more opportunities for our community to enjoy one of Tuscaloosa's greatest natural resources," Maddox said. "We're grateful for our partnership with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and their commitment to making this public space even better."

Kelsey Rush of Visit Tuscaloosa said the river is an underused draw for both tourists and prospective residents.

"Tuscaloosa County's outdoor recreation and natural resources remain one of our greatest untapped assets, not just for attracting visitors but for recruiting people to live here, too," Rush said. "We hope this renovation encourages even more residents and visitors, especially our anglers, to get out and enjoy everything the Black Warrior River has to offer."

State Sens. Gerald Allen, Bobby Singleton and Matt Woods and Rep. Bryan Brinyark also spoke in support of the projects.

Most of the money came from the Sport Fish Restoration Program, funded by excise taxes on fishing equipment and outboard motor fuel and by Alabama fishing license sales. Innovate Alabama contributed as well.

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