Less than two years after it was formed, the Nansemond River Preservation Alliance continues to take small steps that could be nonetheless significant to the future of the waterway whose name it shares.

Following up on a continuing project to label storm runoff drains and other pipes that lead directly to the river, the nonprofit organization of riverside homeowners and other friends of the Nansemond, has teamed up with the Crittenden, Eclipse & Hobson Heritage Foundation on a new and important project. The groups have set out to publish a map and guide of the city’s rivers that could be used by residents and visitors, too. The map would mark locations of public boat launches, historic riverine sites, canoe trails and other points of interest along the Nansemond River and its tributaries in Suffolk.

It’s an undertaking that in one respect should be pretty simple: Public access to Suffolk’s waterways is extremely limited, so locating the ramps on a map should be relatively quick work. On the other hand, the history of Suffolk as seen from the water is a rich and complex tapestry that will take the Alliance some time and effort to weave. But the end result will be a great resource for Suffolk residents and for those who would like to explore the city from another perspective.

In the long run, the groups hope the project will result in a move to increase access to the Nansemond River and its tributaries. A small first step in that direction might have been taken recently, with the announcement that the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation intends to seek a grant to build a canoe and kayak launch at Constant’s Wharf Marina next year. It would be the only such facility on the Nansemond River and one of only two points of public access to the water in all of Suffolk.

Considering the beauty of the river, it should be more accessible. If the map that NRPA and the CE&H Heritage Foundation intend to publish helps achieve that goal, it will have been worth far more than the $25,000 or so that officials expect the project to cost.