Pretty Dam Scary

Our group was waiting to release a paddle report on the section of the Yadkin River Paddle Trail we have covered. The report will be be our own observations and recommendations of what we have found while paddling from Tanglewood to Tuckertown. What we found in our paddle Saturday demands immediate attention. I sent the following information to various media, governmental personnel and others who play an important role in the paddling community. Please contact the approriate people with Forsyth County Government, Winston-Salem Parks and Recreation, the General Manager of Tanglewood Park, Town of Bermuda Run and Davie County Government. With enough voices, we can correct what is an "Open Death Trap".

The following is a copy of the Letter I sent:

To Whom It May Concern:

My name is Neal Conner and I'm with a paddling group called HRL Paddlers. We just finished up a paddle down the Yadkin River that took our group on a paddle trail all the way to Tuckertown Resvoir Dam. Our last segment of the trip was completed this past Saturday. Our group paddled from the Hwy 158 Bridge Access Area( Tanglewood Park) to a Cornfield in Reedy Creek. This was a distance of 11 miles. The beauty of Idols Dam was one of the highlights of our trip.Our group plans to release a report later on this year about the Yadkin River Paddle Trail. The Report will be titled Tanglewood to Tuckertown. This is not why I'm writing now, the reason for doing so now, is because of what we discovered on Saturday's paddle. The situation if left uncorrected is a death trap waiting to happen. It poses an immediate threat to any paddler not familiar with the area..

Even though there is a sign at the access warning of a Spillway and a portage area, we were alarmed to find the signs are not visible. The "Portage Ahead" sign is under a lot of tree laps. The Spill way ahead sign is almost horizontal to the ground. We are aware of the tornado damage in the clean up, but had this been a major street intersection and the "Stop Signs" blown down, would you ignore it until you finished the clean up. Well we are here as HRL Paddlers to tell you "Your Stop Signs are Down" and there is going to be an accident if you don't get out there right away and fix it. The signs are still there and all one has to do is "uncover them" and straighten out the one that is bent over. One person could do this in less than 2 hrs.

If you will visit our website(hrlpaddlers.com) and scroll down to the Yadkin River- Tanglewood video and then look at the photos I took in the post titled " Tanglewood to Tuckertown completed", you will see my concerns. Our group has paddle all the way to Tuckertown Dam since this past April. "High Rock" Dam had the distinction of being the worst, but the Portage area before "Idols dam" is clearly the most life threating, especially with these signs not being visible.

Had our group not done research on this paddle, we possibly could have missed the portage and the spillway warning. The paddle area is one of the prettiest, but in it's present state also one of the deadliest. Had we been occasional paddlers, putting a little further upstream on the Yadkin, let's say off private property , then it's quite possible that we wouldn't have known about the portage or the spill way. Presently there are no visible warning signs.

For less than $ 200 or less, this situation could be easily remedied. That is far less expensive than a wrongful death suit or a negligence suits that could run into millions, should some one get hurt.

Paddlers don't ask for the earth, moon and stars. They only want a safe place to launch from and take out. We saw a lot of private access along our paddle that were very basic and inexpensive. The only difference is that the owners maintain them, like an individual would maintain a yard. A little gravel, a gentle slope to take a boat in and out of.


Our recommendations are to IMMEDIATELY GET THE SIGNS BACK UP AND IN PLACE

Work on making your portage area more accessible, by putting in some steps or grading back into the the bank. It's very dangerous in it's present state.

A couple of us used the trees fallen over in the water, but had the current been moving fast, this would have been a "death trap" had someone slipped". These logs would act as what they call a "strainer" in the paddling world had the current been moving swiftly. You get pushed under and can't get out.

Future considerations would be to post Large Warning Signs along the pylons of the trestle. One of the good things I can say about Alcoa, they do have their Dangerous Areas well marked, so there is no way you can miss them. I'm sure if the counties can't pay for these, perhaps someone would pay for the chance to sponsor them.

It would be nice to see the Park add another access area and take out, for paddlers and canoeist only. If an access area can't be provide, then perhaps an emergency take out spot for paddlers. This could also serve as an access for swift water rescue if needed.


It doesn't take much to accomplish our suggestions. the access and warnings if left in their present state, will cause someone to lose their life.


thanks for taking the time to read about our immediate concerns,

Neal Conner
HRL Paddlers