County gives $150,000 to Tugaloo River Water Trail

The Stephens County Board of Commissioners presented the Tugaloo River Water Trail a check for $150,000.

On Thursday, a group from the Tugaloo River Water Trail and several representatives from Stephens County government gathered at the Walker Creek Boat Ramp for the check presentation.

Commissioner Michelle Ivester explained that the Commission felt it was important to use some of the funds from the American Rescue Plan Act for the Tugaloo River Water Trail.

“About two years ago, I became involved with the water trail and when COVID hit, I really saw the need, and I think the other commissioners also saw the need, for funding for the water trail. They’ve had a lot of great ideas over the years. Its just hard to get it all to come to fruition when you don’t have a lot of money to go towards something. When we got these ARPA funds, the commissioners all got together and decided that this would be a great project to do with these funds. Every weekend we have people coming in to use these water trails. It’s a huge benefit to our town. This is a great project for this money,” she said.

Angie Ramage with the Tugaloo River Water Trail tells WNEG News that they have many plans for the funds they received.

“The county has just given us $150,000 to use for the Tugaloo River Water Trail. We had a really bad situation two years ago, when we lost our main launch at Panther Creek, and that was washed out due to storms. We’re going to rebuild Panter Creek launch so that people will have that fun ride down from that Yonah Dam area and pull out at Walker Creek. We also hope, once that’s rebuilt, we can do some work at Prather Bridge. We want to try to work some of this money in to have an emergency pullout there or a put in and a pull out for handicapped vets or handicapped people where they can up and down the river,” she said.

For additional information about the Tugaloo River Water Trail visit their Facebook page, or contact County Staff by calling 706-898-5750.

WNEG News will continue to update the public as the County moves forward with using funding through the American Rescue Plan Act.