US House Sides With Fishermen Over Access To Tailwaters and Headwaters

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency had already said it wouldn’t enforce the ban. Credit: Towboat Garage/Flickr

A bill to maintain fishing access around dams on the Cumberland River is headed to the President’s desk. Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander sponsored the proposal. It would pause Army Corps of Engineers efforts to restrict the areas just above and below their dams. The Corps considers those spots too dangerous for recreational use.

The moratorium passed the Senate last week, and the House gave its approval today. Nashville Democrat Jim Cooper heralded the vote, saying “the waters are safe, the fishing is good. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”