Cashless Machines Installed At Several Lakes In Nashville District

Several lakes across the state, including Center Hill and Dale Hollow, have started making the transition to cashless facilities.

Park Ranger Ashley Webster said that in preparation for the upcoming recreation season, 19 cashless systems have been installed. She said that the transition comes as part of the CARES Act, as well as an effort to remove some administrative burdens of the park staff.

“I can do a deposit in a matter of minutes for four or five facilities,” Webster said. “Where before for one facility it would take me close to half a day.”

Webster said that this can alleviate some of the frustrations visitors had at being cash-only facilities. She said that there may be some that won’t be happy with a card-only system, but that a majority of people have already have a debit or credit card and use cash less frequently.

Webster said that there will still be some facilities at different locations that will take cash, or places such as various marinas that don’t charge a fee.

“What’s really neat is that pay station, and I feel like all of our pay stations, will bring awareness to our Corps Annual passes as well as our America the Beautiful passes,” Webster said. “Because you have the opportunity to purchase one of those as you enter one fo the areas whether it’s staffed or not. And then exchange that within 10 days. So I feel like, in the long run, we could be saving people money instead of them paying their five-dollar fee several times and then finding out about the pass. Right up front they know it exists and they know they have the opportunity to purchase it.”