Franklin BOC Says “No” to Support of Broad River Watershed Alliance

Franklin County’s Board of Commissioners is saying no to approving a resolution that would support the Broad River Watershed Association and its plan to put in a water trail.

The Broad River Water Trail (BRWT) currently runs from the Hudson River and Middle Fork Broad River in the Northern End of the Watershed to  Bobby Brown State Park, north of Augusta near the Georgia/South Carolina State line.

It includes 10 access points (two public and eight on private property with public access to boat launches), plus eight highway bridge crossings.

Last month, the board heard from association representative Nancy Freeman who explained the importance of the river trail to local economies.

Freeman did not ask for any funding for the project, but at their work session this week, Commissioner Clint Harper expressed concern that might happen eventually.

“I don’t see that this would be beneficial for the county,” Harper said. “I just see a lot of potential liability for the county, and I know from past experience, that this would end up costing the county money.”

During her presentation, Freeman handed the board members a copy of a suggested resolution she said other counties along the Broad River had signed.  All of the commissioners Tuesday expressed concerns with the suggested resolution and said if the county were to support the Broad River Association, the sample resolution needed major changes. However, Commissioner Jeff Jacques  said he also had concerns about the group itself.

“Number one I have concerns about the entity itself; about its function, about its charter,” Jacques said. “I think it would be prudent not to pursue any money on legal fees to spend time modifying this document. This looks like it would be opening the door for them to come to the county later and start asking for funding.”

Counties currently within the Watershed include: Athens-Clarke, Jackson, Habersham, Stephens, Banks, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Elbert, Oglethorpe, and Wilkes and Lincoln.

The trail will ultimately be 70 miles long beginning on the Hudson River in Banks County or 75 miles on the Middle Fork (of the Broad River), continuing downstream along the Broad River, and finishing in Clark’s Hill Reservoir in McCormick,  GA, near Savannah.