Elected officials and concerned citizens will be voicing their disapproval of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' plan to permanently block recreational access to Barkley Dam. It's part of the Corps' plan to increase safety at all dams on the Cumberland River and its tributaries.
Scheduled speakers so far include Kentucky Senators Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell, Congressman Ed Whitfield, Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander, Lyon County Judge-Executive Wade White, and Livingston County Judge Executive Chris Lasher.
The event will take place at the Barkley Dam Pavilion on Barkley Dam Drive on the Lyon County, KY side of Cumberland River.
Local officials hope you'll make a day of it by bringing your boat and fishing the Cumberland River after the rally.
Whitfield has filed a "Freedom to Fish Act" in the House, and Alexander, Paul and Sen. Mitch McConnell have filed similar legislation in the Senate to stop the Corps from putting barriers in place. A public meeting in Grand Rivers, and meetings in Washington, D.C. have been cordial, but the Corps has begun work to install the barriers at some dams already.
White, Lasher, and the other elected officials have asked to be included in discussions about the plan, since the Corps' data regarding accidents and deaths have been disputed, and the restrictions will have a big economic impact on nearby communities.