Island Creek Bridge Access
Account by Paul Akers of encounter with TWRA Enforcement Officer
Paddlers: Paul Akers and Dave Walton
Date: Friday, February 16, 2001 approximately 3:00 pm
Location: Bridge at Island Creek put-in
A stenciled over plywood sign says Catoosa close, a painted arrow on sign points to the right. We assume this means closed past the gate.
After running the river we returned to the put-in to get my truck. A TWRA officer is waiting for us when we get there. It is drizzling rain and he has a rain coat over his uniform so we cannot see his nametag.
He asks/informs us:
-We are not allowed to be here.
-Did we not see the sign?
-The county has given TWRA the road, but has not deeded it to them yet.
-TWRA owns the roads, creek and the water in the creek.
-Tells us that he has to rebuild the bridges at Island Creek and Daddy's Creek
-TWRA is going to put a new gate up at the checking station blocking access to Island Creek.
-He says with the new gate in place rescue groups will not be able to get in to rescue kayakers.
I refer to Daddy's Creek and how we are allowed to put in at Antioch Bridge and take out on park property. He says the only reason we can do that is because they (TWRA) have not been able to catch us.
Dave tells him that we had gone by the Obed Wild and Scenic Rivers office that morning, told them we were going to Island Creek; and they said nothing of the road being closed (and why would they, the road had never been closed before). He angrily replys that it is not their job to inform us about Catoosa. I feel there may be hard feelings toward the Park Service.
Afterwards we go to the Park Office around 4:00 pm and talk to Kris Stoehr and Rob Turan. They seemed surprised that TWRA was closing the road. They said that they had talked to a TWRA officer only last week at the Park Office, and he had indicated that there would be no change in the access policy.
