KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. (WATE) — It started with a dream: Transform the 44 miles of Beaver Creek into one of the largest water trails in the Southeast where people can float, paddle and fish.
There were miles of debris jams in the way, yet after 10 years of work, Knox County’s water trails project is nearing the halfway point with around 22 miles cleared, according to Charlie Austin, president of the Beaver Creek Kayak Club.
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“You can launch from Powell High School at Aubrey’s launch and pretty much float all the way to Melton Hill Dam or Melton Hill Lake currently,” said Austin.
On Tuesday, officials celebrated the latest step in the transformation — a new adaptive boat dock called Karns Landing. It is around 5.5 miles downstream from Roy Arthur Stormwater Park and is intended to be a public access point to Beaver Creek. The dock’s ADA-complaint gangway is meant to allow people of all abilities to enter and exit kayaks or canoes…