News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A larger no-wake zone put in place around Cookeville Boat Dock some 12 years ago will remain indefinitely.
TWRA increased the no-wake zone in anticipation of low water levels, the result of a Center Hill Dam project. Boating Education Leader Captain Matt Clarey said when that two-year project turned into a 10-year project, TWRA thought it made the most sense to change its laws to match where the buoys are currently placed.
“For safety reasons number one,” Clarey said. “And just because they had been used to it for so long so if we brought those back to the original locations I think there might have been more problems. And then we actually put it into our boating rules this past year.”
Clarey said typically, the rule is to have a 300-foot barrier with no-wake buoys and dock owners would have to petition TWRA and the Army Corps of Engineers for any changes. He said having an even larger no-wake zone will also help with the increased popularity of kayaking and paddle boarders as well as increased boating traffic.
