Tri-Rivers Waterway Association met in Columbus

The Tri-Rivers Waterway Association met in Columbus on June 4 & 5. During the meeting the future of Lake Seminole was discussed as well as the future of the Jim Woodruff Dam and Locks and the repairs that are planned for it. Seminole County Chamber of Commerce President Brenda Broome was in attendence and has this to say:

I reported last week about attending the annual meeting of the Tri-Rivers Waterway Association in Columbus on June 4 & 5 and the good information shared during that meeting. More this week: due to the threat of inclement weather I decided not to take the river cruise on Thursday, and I’m glad I did because those folks were drenched during the cruise. And I also want to mention that when we receive a lot of rain in a short period of time in Donalsonville, we just think we have flooding problems. But I can vouch that it’s nothing like what I experienced while in Columbus.

During the meeting, Corps Operational Project Manager Bill Smallwood reported on several major projects which the Corps will undertake during the next two years. These include updating all Crops campgrounds on the ACF River system and major repairs to the Jim Woodruff Dam and Locks. There will also be funds for spraying aquatic weeds at Lake Seminole. The weed problem is an ongoing challenge, and control is important in order to keep the channels open for boat travel. At the present time, it is estimated that there are 15,000 to 18,000 acres of hydrilla at Lake Seminole.

Of special interest to Seminole County are the visitation numbers for Lake Seminole and Seminole State Park during 2008. Lake Seminole had 1,181,340 visitors, which was down 5.77% from 2007 and Seminole State Park had 73,282 visitors, which was down 15.52% from 2007. The decrease in visitation can probably be attributed to the hot weather and extremely high gas prices last year. Plus, during the last three months of the calendar year, the economy was in a free fall. In spite of the decrease in visitation, tourism remains the number two industry in Georgia, posting $20.2 billion in 2007, up 5.8% over 2006.