A study on alleviating congestion among canoes and kayaks on the Buffalo National River suggests changes to give folks on float trips a little more room.

The study, four months in the making by a certified planner, identifies 10 points at which schedule adjustments and other changes could be put in place to reduce density on the river.

The study by planner Nathan Conable of Atlanta is under review by the National Park Service for possible implementation next year, said Linda Nommensen of the park service. The proposed changes each must be reviewed for compliance with park service policies and guidelines, and for environmental impact and economic feasibility, Nommensen said.

The 10 sites are used by private boaters and commercial concessionaires to launch and retrieve boats.

The put-in site at Ponca is used primarily by private boaters because of a ban that prevents commercial operators from using the site on Saturday's during the peak float season - April and May. The study suggests opening the site to commercial vendors on Saturdays.

Changes at the put-in at Ponca could include relocating the launch and parking areas upstream, removing a low-water bridge that leads to a small launch area on the south bank of the river and hiring a part-time park service employee to manage the site on Saturdays during peak season.

Steel Creek in the upper Buffalo and Spring Creek on the middle Buffalo may not need changes. The level of use at Steel Creek will depend largely on any changes at Ponca, Conable said.

A split of the Steel Creek launch area into commercial section and a private section could improve the organization of the site, Conable said.

Kyle's Landing, a popular access for both starting and ending float trips on the upper Buffalo, needs additional parking area, a limit on the number of trailers that concessionaires can leave per day and a park service attendant on Saturday in April and May, Conable said.

The Hasty low-water bridge and the Hasty campground, each access points, would need to be altered together, perhaps barring concessionaires from using the low-water bridge because of congestion and safety issues. Conable said the narrow roadway and undeveloped launch facilities pose a risk of collision between through traffic on the road and people accessing the river, and the bridge itself is a danger on the river as it may draw boaters into culverts underneath the bridge structure.

At the middle Buffalo, he said the Baker Ford access point cannot handle large groups of concessionaires, and suggested a staggered system.

A similar staggering schedule should ease congestion at Maumee North on the lower river, Conable said.

Conable also suggested changes at Dillard's Ferry and Buffalo Point to ease congestion.