Tourist Jet Boat on the French Broad?

[Steve Wright]

Originally Posted by br549

JoeFred, Probably if they could figure out how to do it!!

Looks to me like if you were rolling down Fort Loudon Lake on a summer Saturday driving your boat like that, the TWRA or Blount County patrol boats would be issuing citations for reckless driving.

Sure wish they would target ski doos .....starting to see them on rivers as well

[Steve Wright]

Originally Posted by waterwolf

This thread is pretty hilarious to be honest.

I agree ; .....to me this latest endeavor is the newest member to the parliament of whores that pimps out our natural resources .

[Knothead]

three or four large commercial Kayak rental companies dumping hundreds of city folks into the river all day long,, every day

Sounds like the Hiwassee from 11 AM to 8 PM when they are running two generators for the Michelin hatch.

[waterwolf]

Originally Posted by Steve Wright

I agree ; .....to me this latest endeavor is the newest member to the parliament of whores that pimps out our natural resources .

Don't get me wrong, I have no use for these types of business ventures, but if we are going to get crazy with this one, then we might as well start down the list. Canoes on the Caney, ATV's on public lands, horses on public land etc etc etc. The list would be endless, and the best approach IMO is to target the most serious threats and go after them, along with the threats which are winnable arguments. This particular one, will be extremely difficult to win without a massive overreach by the govt.


One thing which confuses me, is where will they launch or base such an operation? Getting a dock permit on the river is tough, and if that is their plans one phone call and that permit won't happen.

[JoeFred]

The zip line launch tower and the anticipated assembled shirtless masses along TN 66 got me thinking about the good old days... when men were men, daredevils were Evel and a uniform could just bear your name and some stars in place of Red Bull decals.

Classic footage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llzIVDbvSAc

[Corbo]

How about a few before & after pictures of the river banks? Let them spend a bunch of money putting this whole thing together and then seek an injunction based on riverbank degredation.

The soft banks are indeed exposed when there is no generation in the immediate area of this proposed activity BUT normal operation & generating flows do not create wave action that causes the river to get muddy or the banks to wash out.

The occassional power boat doesn't cause any discernable harm to the riverbanks but I suspect a fleet of large craft with 400 plus motors continuously romping about on the river will definately create a hazzard to other boaters and cause erosion.

I am not a videographer or a photographer..... who wants to step up and document the river as it is now?

[Steve Wright]

Originally Posted by Corbo

The soft banks are indeed exposed when there is no generation in the immediate area of this proposed activity BUT normal operation & generating flows do not create wave action that causes the river to get muddy or the banks to wash out.

It is called "mass wasting" ......the erosion from the soil being saturated during generation & subsequent drying ; numerous cycles during a week that break off the banks as much as the shear force/velocity of the current. These cycles are far less frequent in freestones.
Unfortunately, this occurs more below Cherokee than most other tailwaters. I know of four "toeheads" ( small islands) that existed prior to the 70's ;that are totally gone now.This was before jet boats & the recreational pressure of today.

[waterwolf]

Originally Posted by Steve Wright

It is called "mass wasting" ......the erosion from the soil being saturated during generation & subsequent drying ; numerous cycles during a week that break off the banks as much as the shear force/velocity of the current. These cycles are far less frequent in freestones.
Unfortunately, this occurs more below Cherokee than most other tailwaters. I know of four "toeheads" ( small islands) that existed prior to the 70's ;that are totally gone now.This was before jet boats & the recreational pressure of today.

Coldwater farms on the clinch is a great example of this, when we built the pavillion 20 years ago there was 50 yards of land between it and the river, now there might be 5 feet. Also people who fish at the jail should note the rip rap banks which weren't there until recently because of the bank issues caused by tailwaters flow variations

[Tnstonefly]

Here's a link to the zip-line's site. Apparently they offer food, the zip line, jet boat shuttle to and from the zip lines and jet boat tours. They are scheduled to open this march, on the site they have a short video which does show a jet boat similar to the one on the video Byron posted.

http://discoverattractionsinthesmoki...erville-tn.htm

[Corbo]

Went past the site today and they are putting up some kind of building on the South side that is rather large and close to the road. No doubt so passers-by on route 66 will see all the fun available.

Much of Sevier County is an eye full if not an eye sore but this spectcle next to a busy highway will cause accident for certain due to RUBBER NECKING.

NOW AS TO EROSION on the CLINCH, FRENC BROAD OR HOLSTON ... The Federal Power Act, NEPA etc and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regulary reviews an on going "shoreline management plan" for every project impoundment.... it is too bad that for the most part dam operators are not held responsible for their discharge and the environmental harm down river.... sorta like once the water passes over or through the dam the operators are no longer responsible for problems beyond the projects immediate tailwater. Of course there are down river water commitments that must also be met..... like enough water to adequately dillute wastewater treatment or enough cool water to chill out a nuke plant or other non-hydro energy producer or water for a papermill etc.

IMO this is gross negligence whether it be on the Clinch or anywhere else. In Maine We (meaning the Kennebec Chapter of TU & the Kennebec Coalition) "intervened in opposition to well more than a dozen hydro re-kicensing proceedures and sucessfully fought for "issues" on impoindments, issues below the dams and changes in the flow regime not to mention recreational "enhancements"....

I personally wrote all those documents for many years on behalf of the Kennebec chapter and our partners... and we were very sucessful but it took fifteen years. It is expensive however and takes a large committment in time, energy and money. All you need to get what you want is the resolve!

There is no longer an Edwards Dam on the Kennebec.... National TU had virtually nothing to do with it but of course they now take all the credit! What's important is that you can get what you want if yu want it bad enough.

Been there done that.... you who are concerned need to organize! Feel strongly enough perhaps I can show you how it is done & won.


BTW... I am not a liberal environmentalist whacko.... politically I make Newt G. look like Dennis Kucinich.... I just love rivers too much....