Water trail expansion to go through Hartselle

Alabama Scenic River Trail members held a meeting Aug. 6 about the expansion of the water trail on the Flint Creek. The trail is projected to go through Hartselle and neighboring communities and provide a recreational resource to the area.

During the meeting, ASRT representatives spoke about the work being done to clear the creek and plans for the future.

Jay Grantland, executive director of ASRT, said the trails brings numerous opportunities to Alabama. He said the trail helps bring people and businesses into the area.

“There are lots of local benefits and tourism. It is a selling point to industries to have something in the area for their employees to do,” Grantland said.

Grantland said ASRT is working with the Morgan County Rescue Squad to clear away the section of creek that will be added to the trail. The rescue squad is able to practice with their equipment while also being paid to help clear the trail, Grantland explained. He said the aim is to have the local trail cleared entirely by this fall.

Once the waterways are cleared, campsites will be added along the banks to provide areas for paddlers to stay.

“The campsites are accessible only by water. It allows people to do camping trips and not have to worry about people driving up,” Grantland said.

Mile markers will also be added along the trail, which Grantland said allows people to track how far they have traveled and provides a safer way to enjoy the water. With the mile markers, paddlers can more easily direct rescuers to their location in the event of an emergency.

The trail will be mapped with any significant or historical landmarks in the area, and the map will also show campsites along the trail.

In other areas where the trails have expanded, Grantland said they also brings local jobs through the creation of kayak and canoe outfitters and through visitors purchasing food and snacks in the area. “When you open up the waterways, people come,” Grantland said. “Paddlers buying all those things will have an economic impact, and it will bring jobs.”

The cleared waterway is also expected to have an ecological impact on the community. Grantland said in any creek or waterway, trash or oil film are washed into the water, but often avid paddlers will pick up the trash as they go to help keep the area clean. He said he hopes seeing the impact firsthand will help make more people aware of the impact. “It shows you what our human impact is and helps us understand it,” Grantland said.

Another resource the trail will bring to the area is outdoors education. Grantland said the ASRT hosts educational programs through partnerships with 4-H and other local entities. These programs allow people who might not have ever paddled before go out and build their skills and confidence.

Locally, Wheeler Explorers takes out groups. “We get kids out on the water. These are kids who might not have even been outside barefoot, and they are introduced to the outdoors,” Grantland said.

Grantland said it is his goal to get the word out about the Alabama Scenic River Trail and to make people aware of the renewable resource in Alabama. “Alabama has more navigable waterways than any other state in the nation besides Alaska,” he said. “That is what our state was founded on.”

To learn more or get involved with ASRT, visit alscenicrivertrail.com.