COLBERT COUNTY TVA RESERVATION – The Quad-Cities Daily took a tour of the TVA Reservation’s Rockpile area, which is a much-enjoyed area on the Reservation just below Wilson Dam. The purpose of the tour was to illustrate the damage done there by recent heavy flooding throughout the region. The Rock Pile was closed during the late March floods along the Tennessee River. Particular damage was done in Pickwick Lake which is a prime recreation and fishing body of water.
According to TVA media representatives, Derek South and Scott Fielder, the Rockpile area will be closed for much of the Summer in order for TVA crews and private contractors to get in there and restore the area.
Along with the task of cleaning up mud and sand that washed in during the historic flooding, some of the site infrastructure such as a deck alongside the boat ramp will have to be rebuilt. The public rest room facilities will have to be restored as well and the children’s’ playground as well as much of the fencing that got destroyed or damaged. Some of the photos do not tell the whole story of the damage done. It is quite extensive and will take quite a bit of restoration before the public will have access to the site. The representatives said that it looks like late Summer before the public can once again get back into the area.
The new opening in the limestone karst cliff. face.
On an interesting note a new fissure has opened up at the waterfall. So that should prove a big attraction to returning visitors when the time comes. The waterfall area was formed when Wilson Dam was constructed. Underground water from Wilson Lake above the dam found a way around this first dam in the Tennessee River to produce the beautiful water feature. And now, there’s another opening in the cliff face which was most likely caused by the historic amounts of water flow from our recent storms.
On a positive note, the Bald Eagles, White Pelicans, Blue Herons, Geese and Coots are quite happy and are thriving.
