Access | Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association

From "The Tennessean"
QUESTION: Dennis F. Dycus was one of several folks who contacted me about a new boating access in Bellevue to the Harpeth River. He wanted more information about all spots to get a canoe or kayak into or out of the river.

ANSWER: Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association has been formally working on access since 2006. The goal is to have a safe public access every five miles, a perfect distance for a family day outing, says Patty Shultz of TSRA.

They have started with the Harpeth River and are working with Tennessee Scenic Rivers administrator Jane Polansky, the Harpeth River Watershed Association and the Harpeth River State Park to establish the Harpeth Blueway.

So far, TSRA and its partners have established improved access points at the Franklin Recreation Complex. That creates a 4.7-mile float from Lewisburg Pike below the dam to the recreation complex. In addition, there is access at Pinkerton Park in Franklin, Shultz said. TSRA has also built access points at Hidden Lakes off McCrory Lane and Gossett Tract off Cedar Hill Road.

In Davidson County, there is an improved access on Highway 100 at the bridge over the Harpeth near the Ensworth school campus. The new Coley Davis Road access point is between the Highway 100 access and Newsom’s Mill points, creating two 5-mile-long sections. The steps at the Coley Davis Road site are complete. Fifty-nine volunteers worked on them April 9-10. But the river partners are still working out when the gate can be open to the parking area, Shultz said.

There are other access points identified on the Harpeth River. TSRA and the Tennessee State Parks have a grant from the Recreational Trails Program to establish and improve four more access sites along the Harpeth River. Improvements will be at Newsom’s Mill and Highway 70. A new access will be at Highway 249, and a new site will be built for the Narrows of the Harpeth.

Other streams with potential are the Cumberland and Stones rivers as well as Mill Creek and Whites Creek. TSRA is working on access points on the Stones River between the Percy Priest Dam and the Cumberland River with the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

WHOM TO CONTACT: Check the Tennessee Scenic Rivers Association at paddletsra.org. To learn more about the Harpeth River State Park, go to www.tennessee.gov/environment/parks/HarpethRiver or call 952-2099. Shultz has written a book, Paddling Around Nashville: 37 Kayaking and Canoeing Trips in Middle Tennessee, available at Cumberland Transit and REI outdoors stores as well as at booksellers.

Our Mission:

To increase access to Tennessee waterways.
To increase awareness of these resources.
To increase education as to the value of Tennessee's water resources.
To increase conservation of aquatic resources and riparian habitat.

Patty Shultz

History

Despite the wealth of rivers, creeks and lakes in Tennessee, access to them can be difficult for the paddler. In June of 2005, while discussing the issue with Mack Pritchard, the State Naturalist, he suggested bringing the issue to TSRA. The board of TSRA was interested in the concept and requested we do some preliminary exploration and get back to them. For a number of months Mack Pritchard, Patty Shultz, Ann and Marshall Spencer, brainstormed on the issues involved. We developed a mission statement and outlined a plan of action. Marshall presented our work to the board and they unanimously voted to officially create the Access Committee in March of 2006. From there we were off and running.

The Access Committee of TSRA has been working with the goal of getting paddling access points about every 5 miles along Tennessee's paddle-able streams. We have started with the Harpeth and are partnering with the Harpeth River Watershed Association and the Harpeth River State Park to establish the Harpeth Blueway.

We have completed access sites at Hidden Lake and Hwy 100 (both HRSP sites) and at the Williamson County Rec center in Franklin on the Harpeth. We are also working on an access at the Gossett Track site of the HRSP.

We're learning with the Harpeth and hope to eventually take what we learn statewide. We are also working with TDOT and TWRA for statewide access.

Locally in Nashville we have a number of places where we could use funding and cooperation to open up more access points to use the great water resources of Tennessee. The Harpeth, the Cumberland, and the Stones rivers and as well as Mill creek and Whites creek all have potential to be more user friendly to Nashville residents and visitors.

On the Stones River we are working with the CORP of Engineers on a proposal for 2 sites between the Percy Priest Dam and the Cumberland River.

We have also been involved with The Tennessee Blueway Summit, which had representatives from Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga, and Memphis, as well as the National Park Service and the SE Watershed Forum.

Our access committee has representatives from the Duck, Harpeth, Stones River Watersheds Associations. In addition we have representatives from TWRA, TDOT, and TDEC.

Active Committee Members

Our active members include Sherry Beard, Randle Branch, Michael Cain, Dennis Crumby, Frank Fiss, Randy Hedgepath, Jane Logan, Steve Logan, Mack Pritchard, Richard Quin, Bob Richards, Patty Shultz, Ann Spencer, Marshall Spencer.

Grants

In December of 2007, we got our first grant from the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation (TPGF). This was matched by a grant from TWRA. Under the direction of Jane Logan and Patty Shultz as grant writers and Steve Logan as contractor and planner we built an access site on the Harpeth River at the Hidden Lake site of the Harpeth River State Park.

In August of 2007 we received an $8,000 grant from REI to improve three access sites. In November and December we did major improvement at the Franklin Recreation Complex along the Harpeth River. Thirty five volunteers turned out to help with this project masterminded by Steve Logan and carpenter Tom Brenner. This represented a total of 383 volunteer hours. A lot of sites are simple but this one required extensive bank stabilization.

To date, we have had grants from TPGF, TWRA, REI, State Legislators, and a Community Enhancement Grant.

News Flash

TSRA just received a grant from the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation to make an access point on the Harpeth, which will soon be located just downstream of the Soccer Fields in Bellevue. The new access point will facilitate 2 great runs: one from Hwy 100 HRSP to Bellevue (about 5 miles) and another one from Bellevue to the Newsom's Mill HRSP site (also 5 miles). The access site will be the property of the Nashville Metro Parks and Recreation Department. The Nashville Metro Parks and Recreation Department will also provide some funds for the completion of the project.

Completed Access Sites

Hidden Lake

Williamson County Recreation Center: Franklin, Tennessee

Highway 100 along the Harpeth

BEFORE DURING AFTER

Goals

Ideally, we would like to see access points at least every 5 miles along all of Tennessee's paddlable rivers. We currently have a sub group working on the Harpeth River, the Stones River, the Duck River, and the Cumberland River. We have a wish list for making unofficial spots official.

Interested in helping out?

If you are interested in joining our committee, volunteering to work at an access site project or have ideas for access sites please contact Patty Shultz at patshultz@comcast.net. Particularly, if you know of bridge repair work being done in an area that would be good for a put in or take out please let us know.

TSRA River Access Program