Tenn-Tom Waterway’s Natural Resource Manager gives updates to Columbus residents

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Tennessee – Tombigbee Waterway is a commercial and natural asset for our area.

That was the message Thursday in Columbus from the Waterway’s Natural Resource Manager.

Along with moving an increasing volume of goods to railways and ports along the route, the Tenn-Tom also provides a wide variety of recreation opportunities, from pleasure boating to competitive fishing, and even hunting.

Resource managers have the task of maintaining things along the banks of the waterway, areas like campgrounds and hunting plots.

One of the topics of discussion was the fate of the now closed Luxapalila Creek Park, which the City of Columbus recently returned to the Corps of Engineers.

“And once they released it, we were mandated to close it, because we just don’t have the funding. We actually don’t have the approval to operate it. There has to be funds obligated to that, so it’s closed for now, unless someone else leases the area and gets it back open and cleaned up. Like I said it takes a lot of maintenance. It’s a large area,” said Jonathan Johnsey, Tenn-Tom Waterway.

Most of the recreation areas along the Waterway are open to visitors year-round.