Corp. of Engineers is planning on closing all boating/bank fishing below all dams.

[fisher01]

The Corp. of Engineers is planing on closing all boat and bank access below all the dams in the Cumberland River System. Here's are two letters recently sent to the Corp. One from Lamar Alexander and the other from TWRA. We need to get the word out and stop this action.

Dear Colonel DeLapp:

I am writing to express my concerns about your decision to restrict access to fishing areas in dam tailwaters on the Cumberland River system and recommend that you reconsider that decision.

The Cumberland River system is a significant source of enjoyment for Tennesseans and visitors from around the world. Those who enjoy fishing and the businesses that serve them benefit from the open access of the Cumberland River system, and the revenue that is generated by these activities is an important part of Tennessee’s economy.

It is my understanding that the current practice has not resulted in a significantly higher risk to public safety than is experienced at other dams across the country. The current practice is strongly supported by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and they share my view that restricting access to tailwater areas is unnecessary. At a minimum, I believe that any change of this magnitude should be subject to a public comment period so those who enjoy fishing can have an opportunity to express their concerns and propose alternatives to improve public safety. Changes should only be considered after a thorough review of all public comments and suggestions.

I look forward to talking with you directly on this issue to discuss any proposed changes prior to their enactment. Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Lamar Alexander

2nd letter

October 31, 2012
TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCES AGENCY
ELLINGTON AGRICULTURAL CENTER P. O. BOX 40747 NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37204

Frederick B. Bell
Chief, Natural Resources Management Branch Nashville District
US Army Corps of Engineers

Mr. Bell,
As you requested during our conference call on October 22, 2012, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency is sending this letter to convey the value of the fisheries located immediately below USAGE projects in the Cumberland Valley.

Our understanding is that the USAGE proposes to restrict boat access in tailwaters to include the areas with the most turbulent waters. This distance would vary by project but based on our discussion it is likely that it would at least restrict access downstream to the end of the lock wall. We strongly urge your staff to reconsider this decision. These tailwater areas are highly valued assets to the region as they offer the best fishing and ease of access for both bank and boating anglers.

Nowhere else in these run-of-river reservoirs are fish so abundant. Several species of fish are predictably caught at the dam during seasonal runs. These include striped bass, white bass, yellow bass, sauger, walleye, catfish, paddlefish, and skipjack herring. Catch rates for these species are orders of magnitude higher in this area, especially during peak seasons. While these species are present in the lower reservoir at other times of the year, their distribution is scattered resulting in less successful fishing trips. Many anglers would not fish at all if access at the dam were restricted. After decades of opportunity at dams,these areas are traditional fisheries for generations of middle Tennesseans.

There are several reasonswhy fish are abundant in the proposed restricted zones below Cordell Hull, Old Hickory, and Cheatham dams.

1)The dam is a barrier that concentrates migrating fish during spawning runs(November through May). TWRA relies on access to these spawning runs to collect broodf ish for hatcheries. These are also permanent survey sites used to monitor fish populations.
2) Fish are entrained through the dam creating a supply of easy food for many fish species year-round.
3) The high flows have created scour holes and complex hydraulic conditions that some species prefer as habitat.
4) Shad and other baitfish concentrate below dams which attract predatory gamefish.
5) Gate operations during the summer months improve water quality and fish are using
these areas as refuges.
6) TWRA annually stocks hundreds of thousands of striped bass, sauger and walleye which
ultimately run upstream to the dam for the reasons listed above.

Unlike the bass and crappie fishing that occurs throughout the reservoir, tailwater anglers have no alternative locations that provide similar quality. The tailwater provides eddies and other currents that provide fishing opportunities for boat anglers that are unique to tailwaters. As you travel downstream a short distance from the lock wall, the fishing success drops off abruptly.

Many bank anglers exclusively fish these areas close to the dam because of these high concentrations of fish. Any loss to boat access should be accompanied by improvements and increased maintenance to bank fishing amenities, such as parking areas, walkways, and fishing platforms adjacent to the turbines.

Regretfully, we do not have economic impact data specific to these areas. Frankly it has been so obvious to fisheries managers that these areas are economically important, that such studies had not seemed warranted. We are sure that USAGE project managers can confirm that visitation rates are high during the peak fishing times. A decision to restrict access will annually eliminate thousands of trips made by sport anglers and commercial fishing guides.

TWRA manages tailwaters at Center Hill, Dale Hollow and J. Percy Priest dams as trout fisheries. Boat fishing occurs below all these dams, but is much more common at Center Hill Dam. Unlike the fisheries at the run-of-river impoundments, the fisheries below Center Hill and Dale Hollow change relatively slowly as you go downstream for miles. Therefore, restricting access to the turbulent waters immediately below those dams would not completely limit opportunity. People will still be upset at a loss of public waters available for fishing, but there are alternatives immediately downstream of the restricted area.

Our experience with the winter trout fishery at J.Percy Priestis that most anglers fish the bank from the dam to the 1-40 Bridge. Because that is a fairly short distance, any significant restriction in bank access could jeopardize that fishery. TWRA and Metro Parks recently constructed a new boat ramp at Heartland Park in 2011 in an effort to increase boat fishing
opportunities.

The proposed restriction would be counter-productive to these efforts.A closure would also limit the only upstream access to the Stones River Blue way for non- motorized boats.

In closing, we strongly urge you to consider other alternatives and seek public comment as you move forward on this question. The state's 800,000 anglers and the local businesses they support will be affected by this loss of public waters.

Sincerely,
Bobby Wilson
Chief of Fisheries
TENNESSEE WILDLIFE RESOURCES AGENCY

[browntrout]

As bad as I hate to say it I can almost understand why. When people ignore flashing lights and horns sounding and then get hurt bad or drown you have to wonder do people have the intelligence and knowledge to operate below a dam safely. With several of the deaths at Centerhill I am sure the Corps has probably been sued and are tired of defending lawsuits due to other people's negligence. Hopefully they will reach a compromise.

Roy

[old sailor]

If they shut off the tailwaters it would severely wound me! If all law enforcement agencies would get tough on littering and litterers I think it would help ease some pain. I pick up trash all the time and I fish three days a week year round. The trash left by some so called sportsmen is embarassing. Access to woods dam tailwater was closed because of this and I see corps personnel picking trash out of the jetty at cordell hull all the time. I suspect this weighs heavily on wanting to close these waters. Just my two cents worth, sometimes I need to vent about littering!!

[nofish]

they need to find something better to do than to mess with us anglers all of the time! i'm sick of it and any jackass politician that supports it won't ever get a vote from me! you're an idiot if you can't fish responsibly below a dam and you'll get your butt handed to you if you don't pay attention to the warning signs and conditions. i know some incidents happen below dams across the usa and even here, but it must be rare cause i never hear about it locally. this would definitely have negative economic impacts and royally tee off alot of anglers.

[nofish]

ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!!! WHAT'S NEXT?!?

[Travis C.]

Working Together As Sportsmen To Stop Access To Our Fishing Waters Without Public Input.

Please SHARE this commentary.

By Doug Markham
Outdoors With Doug Markham
...
The information posted at the bottom of this commentary is for those who want an answer to questions before a government plan to close boat access to our dams is implemented in Middle Tennessee.

As a long time fisherman, and one that immensely enjoys fishing below dams, I find the attempt by the the Corps of Engineers to restrict boat access below dams offensive and puzzling.

Bass anglers, trout anglers, sauger and walleye fishermen, striper and white bass lovers, and catfish fanatics have the most at stake if the Corps denies you access to generators and the accompanying eddies, seams, and swirls manufactured by them.

But deer hunters, turkey pursuers, small game enthusiasts and anyone who loves outdoors should hear the alarm ringing just as loudly over this issue being brought on itself solely by the Nashville District Corps of Engineers and the 61st commander to lead this government entity.

You may never have fished below a dam, you may not fish at all, but I'm betting many of you find just as offensive as I do an attempt to stop a tradition for apparently no greater reason than one man or a handful of COE administrators want to see it stopped regardless of what anyone else has to say about the issue.

More galling is that generally these top district COE commanders are short timers. Most are around for about two years before their next appointment sends them upwards in rank or position or onwards into retirement.

I'm not sure how much longer the current colonel has remaining in his Nashville tenure, but if he gets his way he can end a Tennessee tradition without having ever been elected to anything in this state by any of us! Our governor can't even do that.

And, he might even be able to do it without holding a public meeting to get input from thousands of anglers and numerous businesses, counties, or cities that count on angling dollars brought in by the attraction of dams. That is where we all should uniformly find offense.

How long have these plans been in the works? Was the COE just going to be put into place one day with COE rangers running us all below certain line of demarcation--a buoy or a ramp perhaps? Are we going to get citations, big fines, or taken downtown if try to fish where we have been fishing for decades?

Eddie West is a good reporter for the Carthage Courier newspaper in Smith County. He doesn't know much about fishing, but he knows enough that local Cordell Hull anglers will howl at an attempt by a un-elected government official to remove access to their fishing tradition. He asked the COE to send him a press release about the proposed boat restrictions and this is what he got via email:

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is currently in the process of finalizing a plan to restrict boat access to hazardous waters directly upstream and downstream of all hydroelectric power plant facilities along the Cumberland River and its tributaries. When the implementation plan is finalized, the Corps will release the information to the public."

Respectfully,

Lee Roberts
Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Nashville District

This statement was only sent this week and only at the request of Eddie Wes and not sent by the colonel, as you can see.

I appreciate Eddie for sending that quote. It says to me that when the Corps is ready to put our new plan in place they will let us know the day one of our longstanding traditions comes to an end. Until then, don't worry about it.

We all know about the potential hazards below dams, just as we know about the potential hazards of boats in general, treestands if you are hunter, and 16-year-old drivers sharing I-65 or I-24 if you're a driver.

It's puzzling to me that the first 60 commanders of the Nashville District Corps of Engineers have not made boat access an issue. For some reason the 61st wants to end our tradition here before he MOVES ON. This should alarm all sportsmen and all sportsmen should work together to stop this ASAP. Notice in the COE quote, it says "upstream and downstream" of our dams. How far upstream?

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander has written the COE colonel a letter asking that he hold public meetings before any implementation takes place. Apparently it has galled him too and he is heavy hitter in the United States Senate.

That letter, along with one written by TWRA opposing any boat restrictions, is good and I appreciate the Senator and former governor of this state. But, I still believe it will take the cooperation and unity of all sportsmen to get this attempt stopped. By the way, you can read the TWRA letter on it Region II FB page.

What if--just what if--the next COE commander says too many people are drowning on Percy Priest or Old Hickory and that the COE needs to save lives because because boat motors have gotten too fast, or the wind might blow hard, or the water temperature is too cold if you fall out of the boat.

I know that sounds wacky, but until this commander came around I never thought about anyone trying to do what this particular commander of the Nashville District Corps of Engineers is trying to do.

I hope you will share this commentary and the information below with all of your friends. I have attached the Corps Facebook page if you want to pay it a visit and ask questions. Please be cordial, but we deserve answers. I have also asked the colonel to be on my radio show. No response yet, but I asked him through the COE's Public Affairs Office a day before Thanksgiving.

Here are contact pages for two U.S. Senators and four U.S. Congressmen that have Cumberland River waters in their districts. If you are not sure what your congressional district is, just do a Google search for maps of Tennessee congressional districts.

Senator Lamar Alexander (statewide representation)
http://www.alexander.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Email

Senator Bob Corker (statewide representation)
http://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

Congressman Diane Black
District 6
https://black.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Congressman Marsha Blackburn
District 7
http://blackburn.house.gov/contact/

Congressman Jim Cooper
District 5
https://forms.house.gov/cooper/webforms/issue_subscribe.html

Congressman Scott Desjarlais
District 4
http://desjarlais.house.gov/contact/

Here is the Corps FB page http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps

[creeksmallie]

Travis, I was about to post this also.
TK or Brian please keep this on the top
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Mike Dial

[Reel Tune]

Thanks for sharing, it's very saddening. I will do whatever I can to help prevent this. I enjoy tailwaters and enjoy sharing them safely with others.

[Saltwaterwalt]

Email sent to congressman, hope all will do the same ... scary government control!

[tkwalker]

Originally Posted by creeksmallie

Travis, I was about to post this also.
TK or Brian please keep this on the top
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Mike Dial

This is a reminder to contact all Gov. officials that has direct input in to this ... Especially the ones who are always looking for votes ... <'TK><

[tkwalker]

Sir or Madam, This is a request from myself and thousands of members of www.Fishingtn.com to please look into this matter ... For the Fishermen of the fine State of Tennessee. It seems more Government control is being forced upon us without any proof or facts of reasoning.. Below are documents from TWRA and other concerened Officials. Also Please go to my website and look at this post... http://www.fishingtn.com/showthread.php?t=5937 ... (Posters, copy and Email this) Thank you for any action in this matter <'TK><

Capt. TK Walker (U.S.C.G.)
Owner and Administrator
www.Fishingtn.com





Working Together As Sportsmen To Stop Access To Our Fishing Waters Without Public Input.

Please SHARE this commentary.

By Doug Markham
Outdoors With Doug Markham
...
The information posted at the bottom of this commentary is for those who want an answer to questions before a government plan to close boat access to our dams is implemented in Middle Tennessee.

As a long time fisherman, and one that immensely enjoys fishing below dams, I find the attempt by the the Corps of Engineers to restrict boat access below dams offensive and puzzling.

Bass anglers, trout anglers, sauger and walleye fishermen, striper and white bass lovers, and catfish fanatics have the most at stake if the Corps denies you access to generators and the accompanying eddies, seams, and swirls manufactured by them.

But deer hunters, turkey pursuers, small game enthusiasts and anyone who loves outdoors should hear the alarm ringing just as loudly over this issue being brought on itself solely by the Nashville District Corps of Engineers and the 61st commander to lead this government entity.

You may never have fished below a dam, you may not fish at all, but I'm betting many of you find just as offensive as I do an attempt to stop a tradition for apparently no greater reason than one man or a handful of COE administrators want to see it stopped regardless of what anyone else has to say about the issue.

More galling is that generally these top district COE commanders are short timers. Most are around for about two years before their next appointment sends them upwards in rank or position or onwards into retirement.

I'm not sure how much longer the current colonel has remaining in his Nashville tenure, but if he gets his way he can end a Tennessee tradition without having ever been elected to anything in this state by any of us! Our governor can't even do that.

And, he might even be able to do it without holding a public meeting to get input from thousands of anglers and numerous businesses, counties, or cities that count on angling dollars brought in by the attraction of dams. That is where we all should uniformly find offense.

How long have these plans been in the works? Was the COE just going to be put into place one day with COE rangers running us all below certain line of demarcation--a buoy or a ramp perhaps? Are we going to get citations, big fines, or taken downtown if try to fish where we have been fishing for decades?

Eddie West is a good reporter for the Carthage Courier newspaper in Smith County. He doesn't know much about fishing, but he knows enough that local Cordell Hull anglers will howl at an attempt by a un-elected government official to remove access to their fishing tradition. He asked the COE to send him a press release about the proposed boat restrictions and this is what he got via email:

"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is currently in the process of finalizing a plan to restrict boat access to hazardous waters directly upstream and downstream of all hydroelectric power plant facilities along the Cumberland River and its tributaries. When the implementation plan is finalized, the Corps will release the information to the public."

Respectfully,

Lee Roberts
Public Affairs Specialist
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Nashville District

This statement was only sent this week and only at the request of Eddie Wes and not sent by the colonel, as you can see.

I appreciate Eddie for sending that quote. It says to me that when the Corps is ready to put our new plan in place they will let us know the day one of our longstanding traditions comes to an end. Until then, don't worry about it.

We all know about the potential hazards below dams, just as we know about the potential hazards of boats in general, treestands if you are hunter, and 16-year-old drivers sharing I-65 or I-24 if you're a driver.

It's puzzling to me that the first 60 commanders of the Nashville District Corps of Engineers have not made boat access an issue. For some reason the 61st wants to end our tradition here before he MOVES ON. This should alarm all sportsmen and all sportsmen should work together to stop this ASAP. Notice in the COE quote, it says "upstream and downstream" of our dams. How far upstream?

U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander has written the COE colonel a letter asking that he hold public meetings before any implementation takes place. Apparently it has galled him too and he is heavy hitter in the United States Senate.

That letter, along with one written by TWRA opposing any boat restrictions, is good and I appreciate the Senator and former governor of this state. But, I still believe it will take the cooperation and unity of all sportsmen to get this attempt stopped. By the way, you can read the TWRA letter on it Region II FB page.

What if--just what if--the next COE commander says too many people are drowning on Percy Priest or Old Hickory and that the COE needs to save lives because because boat motors have gotten too fast, or the wind might blow hard, or the water temperature is too cold if you fall out of the boat.

I know that sounds wacky, but until this commander came around I never thought about anyone trying to do what this particular commander of the Nashville District Corps of Engineers is trying to do.

I hope you will share this commentary and the information below with all of your friends. I have attached the Corps Facebook page if you want to pay it a visit and ask questions. Please be cordial, but we deserve answers. I have also asked the colonel to be on my radio show. No response yet, but I asked him through the COE's Public Affairs Office a day before Thanksgiving.

Here are contact pages for two U.S. Senators and four U.S. Congressmen that have Cumberland River waters in their districts. If you are not sure what your congressional district is, just do a Google search for maps of Tennessee congressional districts.

Senator Lamar Alexander (statewide representation)
http://www.alexander.senate.gov/publ...ex.cfm?p=Email

Senator Bob Corker (statewide representation)
http://www.corker.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

Congressman Diane Black
District 6
https://black.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

Congressman Marsha Blackburn
District 7
http://blackburn.house.gov/contact/

Congressman Jim Cooper
District 5
https://forms.house.gov/cooper/webfo...subscribe.html

Congressman Scott Desjarlais
District 4
http://desjarlais.house.gov/contact/

Here is the Corps FB page http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps

[jad2t]

This is absolutely absurd and just another example of Government getting too powerful and too involved in our lives. Emails and phone calls will be sent to our representatives.

[tkwalker]

I just emailed a copy of my above post to all of the congress Persons that was on the list.... Please do the same ... <'TK><

[Mnfishingbum]

Emails sent. Also posted on Facebook.

[jimj3561]

has anyone seen any stories on the news about this?