DANDRIDGE, Tenn. (WATE) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has issued a safety advisory urging boaters on Douglas Lake to be on the lookout for debris.
“If you go to Douglas Lake and you go boating, just be cautious,” said Matt Cameron with TWRA. “Operate at safe speeds, be on a proper lookout for floating debris.”
TWRA issues boating advisory on Douglas Lake due to mile-sized floating debris field
The Tennessee Valley Authority has set up a boom across the lake at Mile 11 at Swanns Shoals upriver from downtown Dandridge. The boom acts as a barrier that catches debris that is both floating and submerged in the water.
“Probably the debris, it looks like most of it has been caught, some of it made it through,” said Beyond Horizon Boat Rentals owner Jody Wittmeyer.
TWRA is strongly discouraging people from fishing on Douglas Lake.
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“We just don’t encourage people to go fishing, to have contact with the water, and furthermore not to catch and eat a fish out of Douglas Lake right now until we get a better feel on how has this affected the quality of the fish,” Cameron said.