Public boat ramp installed on the Buffalo River

Thanks to a partnership between several state and local agencies, Lewis County now has its first-ever public boat ramp on the beautiful Buffalo River.

The concrete ramp and gravel parking lot are located at the Mouth of Grinder's Creek off Highway 99, and can be used to safely launch kayaks, canoes, tubes and flat-bottom boats into the Buffalo River.

This project has been one of the top priorities of the Buffalo River Blueway Committee, which was created in 2018 to increase the utilization of the Buffalo River for recreational and tourism purposes.

The committee currently consists of Lewis County Commissioner Austin Carroll, Professional Consultant Dr. Bridget Jones, Lewis County Mayor Jonah Keltner, Chamber of Commerce Director Debbie Landers, and Lewis County Government Chief Operating Officer Houston Hamblin.

Among the state agencies involved in this project were the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, which provided all of the grant funding; and the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency, which provided all the engineering, equipment and labor at no cost.

"I'm very excited that our community now has a public place where families can go to picnic, swim, fish and launch their watercraft into the Buffalo River," stated Mayor Keltner. "It was a great team effort, and I appreciate everyone who was involved in making this a success."

No local tax dollars were used on this project, as it was entirely funded through the TDECD ThreeStar grant. A grand opening event will take place when warmer weather arrives in the Spring of 2023.