WV Landing Boat Ramp Will Be Closed April 19-23
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The TVA photo shows the massive support tower for the power lines that twisted and fell into the lake during the storm Friday night.
WATER VALLEY – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Vicksburg District reported that the Water Valley Landing Boat Ramp at Enid Lake will be closed temporarily beginning Wednesday night, April 19 for ongoing work to repair a power line damaged last month. The ramp will be closed through the weekend of April 22-23. The closure does not affect the adjacent campground in the Water Valley Landing Recreation Area.
The closure comes as workers with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) continue repairs on a transmission line that crosses the lake and was damaged by storms on March 24. The heavy wind brought down multiple support towers located in the lake that support the transmission line that crosses the far eastern portion of the lake.
TVA spokesperson Scott Fiedler reported the boat ramp will be used to launch small barges for the repair.
“Our original plan was to use mats and drive the equipment to the tower,” Fiedler told the Herald. “But Mother Nature brought us heavy rains. The Corps of Engineers cannot drop the water level due to flood concerns, but now the water is high enough to bring small barges into the area.”
The lake level is up almost nine feet since March 28, rising from 246 to 254.88 feet.
While the Water Valley Boat Ramp closure is short-term, other access areas in eastern portions of the lake remain closed for the duration of the repairs. These areas include access for the Mudline Road, Bluford McCullar (County Road 395) and the Wildcat Brake/Dean Hill WMA (County Road 494). Access to the vicinity of the downed line also is prohibited by boat for the safety of visitors and TVA workers.
Fiedler also reported that the estimated date of completion for the line rebuild is May 12. He also stressed that there are no customers without power due to the damage.
“We run a redundant system to ensure that if we lose one line, we can backfeed power from other area,” Fiedler explained.
