New park and pathway enhancements and water amenities are on tap for The Woodlands this year.

The park and pathway improvements, which total $1.5 million, will be funded equally by The Woodlands Development Company and The Woodlands Township and are focused on Creekside Park, Hughes Landing and The Woodlands Waterway.

“There is a lot going on at Hughes Landing,” said Kelly Dietrich, senior project manager with The Woodlands Development Company. “We’re trying to make a lot of connections that are pedestrian-friendly on Hughes Landing Boulevard.”

Another Town Center-area project extends The Woodlands Waterway pedestrian walkway to the west of Grogan’s Mill Road near the East Shore Clubhouse. The project is expected to be complete by the first quarter of 2017.

More than 91 acres of parkland will be added to the Village of Creekside Park as well this year, including the community’s last neighborhood park: the 5-acre Smooth Stream Park. Plans call for three additional neighborhood pond parks and a 7-acre Town Lake Park as well.

The Woodlands Convention and Visitors Bureau heard about a number of potential new amenities for The Woodlands Waterway during its Feb. 3 board meeting. The amenities would be implemented in lieu of the waterway cruisers that will not be operational by March 31. Proposed ideas range from pedal boats to whitewater rafting, but the township’s board of directors must approve any new amenities before they can be implemented on The Woodlands Waterway.

Pedal boats would be able to hold two or four people, which would cater to a four-person family not able to fit in one kayak, said Chris Nunes, township parks and recreation director. Although the township’s kayak program has been successful—there were 17,000 rentals at the Riva Row Boat House in 2015—the kayaks can only fit one or two individuals.

The township is also considering rowboats, which cost about $1,000 each and can hold two or four individuals.

“They would cater more to a leisure and recreational opportunity—people going fishing, having a picnic lunch or bird watching,” Nunes said.

There is also the potential for sailboats because of a new access point for water activities at Hughes Landing opening this spring.

“When we looked at [sailboats] in 2009 we stayed away because the base of operations was the [Riva Row] boathouse, and trying to propel a sailboat through a narrow channel would provide some challenge for even an experienced sailor,” Nunes said. “Now that we have more direct lake access with Hughes Landing and potentially the upper waterway, that would provide more access.”

Other potential options include aqua golf and whitewater rafting, but adventure options may not be allowed by The Woodlands Development Company.

“The state of Texas doesn’t have a long history with whitewater rafting, but it’s been successful in other areas,” Nunes said. “But if you have pumps and motors and rocks and obstacles, it might be another option.”