The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is extending its closure of 25 Corps-managed campgrounds within the Cumberland River Basin in Kentucky and Tennessee through at least May 31 in the interest of public safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WGNS NEWS was told that local managers are committed to the health and safety of recreational visitors and their staff. The Corps is following the guidelines from state agencies and the CDC regarding COVID-19, closely monitoring the situation, and responding to current conditions.
This affects all Corps-managed campgrounds locally at Percy Priest Lake.
State-operated or concessionaire operated campgrounds at Corps Lakes have their own policies in place.
The Nashville District recommends that the public contact the respective state agencies for their operating status. "We apologize for any inconvenience this causes to our recreating community," said Diane Parks, Nashville District Operations Division chief. "I can assure you these decisions have not been made lightly, but have been made in the interest of public safety. The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and contractors who manage these campground facilities is our highest priority. We appreciate the patience and understanding during these unprecedented times and look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as it's safe to do so."
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Furthermore, these changes impact Lake Barkley and Lake Cumberland in Kentucky, and Cheatham Lake, Old Hickory Lake, Cordell Hull Lake, Center Hill Lake and Dale Hollow Lake in Tennessee. Other USACE Lakes in the state of Kentucky are managed by the Louisville and Huntington Districts and are also cancelling camping reservation through May 31 as they develop their re-opening plans.
The Corps of Engineers reminds all visitors to follow these steps to recreate responsibly: honor the six-foot social distance rule, stay away from parks and recreation areas if you are sick or have symptoms, keep parks clean by practicing "pack in and pack out" etiquette, and always wear a life jacket when near the water. A determination has not yet been made for when campgrounds and recreational areas will reopen to the public. The Nashville District continues to assess the situation and is developing a phased reopening approach in alignment with current federal, state and CDC guidance. Updates will be provided as they become available.
The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district's website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.