After months of recovery efforts following the wreckage wrought by Hurricane Helene, boaters are finally receiving the green light on Douglas Lake. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) confirmed Tuesday that the boating safety advisory, issued in the wake of the storm's devastation, has been rescinded, as reported by WVLT. Since putting the advisory in action due to flooding and resulting debris, the TWRA, alongside various state agencies, has been diligently working to clear the hazards that littered these waters and posed dangers to those navigating them.
Working closely with Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), which installed a boom to tackle the massive debris field, TWRA has monitored the cleanup process, where the debris has progressively accumulated along the shoreline, according to an update by WATE.
While the advisory has been lifted, remaining risks persist. TWRA issued a caution urging boaters to remain vigilant amidst the ongoing cleanup operations. "Boaters and anglers are still urged to use extra caution," the agency declared, highlighting potential encounters with work boats, barges, and heavy equipment in certain areas, as conveyed in an interview by WATE. Patrol boats will be on standby to guarantee the safety of recreationists and cleanup crews alike.
A companion advisory from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) regarding water contact was also recently retracted. As the waters have been declared safe once again, TDEC addressed concerns about fish consumption from the affected waterbodies. "They said they have no reason to believe fish consumption from those waterbodies is not safe," as stated by WBIR. TDEC reinforces this assertion with a regular schedule for fish tissue monitoring and will update advisories as necessary following their upcoming summer and fall contaminant testing.
