Park consultant will present preliminary plan for river park area Wednesday

Russell Clark, the national field representative for the National Park Service, is expected to present a preliminary master plan Wednesday for development of New Albany’s river park system.

Clark, here thanks to a grant from the Mississippi Hills Heritage Alliance, spent Tuesday touring the river park area and hearing comments and suggestions from interested citizens.

Clark said he planned to present a map with several overlaps showing important points and suggested improvements. He will then use comments from Wednesday’s presentation to create a final master plan for the area.

He did not give a timetable for the completed plan but the implication was that it would be weeks or a few months at most.

Some suggestions involved the Little Tallahatchie River itself while others would affect the immediate area and contribute to tourism generally.

Most of the ideas concerned the eastern side of the river because, as Clark said, the western side with Tallahatchie Trails is already well developed.

One of Clark’s suggestions was taking a swampy area near the river and making it a nature preserve. Nothing would be changed but a boardwalk would be added that would not disturb the ecosystem and educational signs placed throughout.

Residents’ suggestions included seeing a boutique hotel on Tanglefoot Trail and perhaps a zip line from one side of the river to another. A lower bridge across the Tallahatchie might be added as well.

A suggestion that has been backed by Mayor Tim Kent for some time is the construction of a low-head, or weir dam, on the lower part of the river. This would raise the water level in the park area to make the river suitable for paddle boarding or kayaking year-round. If the dam were far enough down, people could also go tubing in the river.

Clark would like to see a holding pond near Barnes Crossing Chevrolet. It would serve as storm water control, catching large water flow and releasing it slowly into the river. The pond could have plant life, perhaps an island that one could walk to, and more interpretive materials.

When asked about practicality, Clark was positive.

“A community this size with this level of resources is almost unheard of,” he said. “You have the components of a trail tourism outdoor destination. You have a fantastic trail system. It is a jewel.”

Concerning the river itself, Clark said safe access points were needed, “not a muddy bank.”

He suggested stones laid out in a stair step design that would allow access no matter what the water level might. That design would facilitate getting into kayaks could be used for fishing and would be easier to clean the inevitable mud from.

Clark said the Corps of Engineers would allow this work to be done, although there is a permit process to go through.

Critical to the success of a trail tourism program would be people in the community, according to Clark. “You would need to change the DNA in attitudes they have about trail tourism,” he said. We don’t want hotel, restaurant or retail staff saying “nothing” when visitors ask what there is to do here, he added. A training program might be provided for tourism-related local staff to educate them about and expose them to the community’s attractions.

When asked how close we are to achieving trail tourism destination status, Clark answered, “I think you’re really close.”

However, Clark said we need to look beyond our city limits to see what we can promote. He asked if mountain biking trails were available in the national forest or wildlife area.

Clark said we need more RV parking and campsite areas, and they need to be promoted on the internet. This could also be a money-making opportunity for the city, he said. A few RV hookups are available at the sportsplex and fairgrounds but more and better are needed.

Those at the meeting Tuesday seemed to agree it might be good to eventually develop the river area from the closed North Street bridge all the way down to Martintown Road, about five miles. Clark said typically it is good to have river access every six to eight miles and that 12 miles is a good distance for a day’s paddle boarding or kayaking.

Museum director Jill Smith has been interested for some time in developing Camp Creek Branch, which runs along the edge of The Park Along the River. Not only is it one of the original boundaries for the city, but it is small enough to potentially be a play area for children.

It would need to be cleaned out some and the water tested to make sure it is safe, but it could be a good learning and play area, they said.

A surprising suggestion was to have a place for equestrians to keep horses and equipment overnight as they travel from one part of the country. It would have a secure area for exercise, feeding and storing equipment over night. “They spend more than any other group,” Clark said.

A way to improve tourism is to study “heat maps” to see where people are going more. That information could be used to create loops to draw them back here, he said.

Clark said the group needs to do a study of the economic impact of the trail corridor. “Your folks need to know that,” he said. “Where people are coming from and how much they are spending.”

It was determined that a study has been done and will be made available to the group.

“Visitors don’t want fast food,” he said. “Keep your history in the forefront.” But he cautioned that, “Corporate America will want to come in and destroy the character of the community,” once the area does become a trail tourism destination.

State Rep. Sam Creekmore, who has been working with Clark, is considering legislation that would create a state tourism trail certification process similar to that used in other states such as Kentucky.

Clark said that, while his office did not come here with a checkbook, he has compiled a list of sources where assistance, financial or otherwise, might be obtained.

He was scheduled to present the tentative plan at the Union County Heritage Museum at 3 p.m. and was confident he would have some good suggestions.

“What you have here is unique,” he said. “Keep it.”