Most recreation areas and six dam reservation campgrounds developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority, including at Melton Hill Dam, were scheduled to re-open on Friday, May 15. The areas were closed in March as part of the overall federal and state response to slowing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Seventeen TVA recreation areas were scheduled to re-open, while the Pickwick recreation area is only partially re-opening due to ongoing repair work from spring flooding, a press release said. Four additional recreation areas will remain closed due to maintenance and repair activities unrelated to COVID-19: Kentucky Dam West Bank Road (walk-in access to fishing areas is permitted), Raccoon Mountain, Tellico, and the Wilson Dam Rockpile Recreation Area.
Consistent with current federal and state guidance, restroom facilities, large-group pavilions, and playgrounds will remain closed in the re-opened recreation areas, the press release said. In addition, all TVA visitors’ centers remain closed.
Visitors are requested to continue to follow physical distancing and other public health guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while at TVA’s recreation areas, the press release said.
Managed campgrounds at TVA’s Cherokee, Douglas (headwater and tailwater), Melton Hill, Pickwick, and Watauga dams were to open for the season on May 15. Recreation Resource Management is responsible for operating these facilities and additional information is available on TVA’s campground website.Â
In coordination with the state of Tennessee and the U.S. Forest Service, TVA is also resuming some recreational releases on the Ocoee River to support commercial whitewater rafting and kayaking.
For more information about TVA, click here.
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