Corps of Engineers Reverses Plan to Shut Recreational Boaters Out of Locks on Alabama and Chattahoochee Rivers

We recently received a copy of an announcement by the Alabama Scenic River Trail (ASRT) group with this title.

It says, in part, "the ASRT has received a memo this morning announcing a change in policy. At risk was the public's ability to use the locks on the Alabama and Chattahoochee rivers .... Ten-Four: Ten hours a day, four days a week. That's the new schedule announced by the US Army Corps of Engineers that allows the public to use the locks on the Alabama and Chattahoochee Rivers. This is a reversal of a previous decision to close the locks to recreational traffic.
.... There are a few other limitations having to do with holidays and the availability of lock operators during their annual sick leave terms .... "

There is a link to the .PDF file of the official Corps of Engineers announcement at
http://www.alabamascenicrivertrail.com/news

The official announcement was made on October 9, 2012 U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS MOBILE DISTRICT.

It says, in part, "Locks on the two river systems will be manned 10 hours per day, four days per week. Locks will be closed on holidays and when lock operators are on annual or sick leave. Locks will be staffed Friday thru Monday during the spring and summer (March – September) and Monday thru Thursday during the fall and winter (October thru February).

We note that the Corps' own statistics indicate that these locks have even less commercial traffic than Hildebrand and Opekiska. We have no data on recreational lockages in the Mobile District.

LOCKS	LOCATION	Corps District	2010 Commercial Usage
GEORGE W. ANDREWS	Chattahoochee River	SAM	0
JIM WOODRUFF	ACF Waterway/Mile 106.3	SAM	0
MILLERS FERRY	Alabama River	SAM	0
ROBERT F. HENRY	Alabama River	SAM	0
WALTER F. GEORGE	Chattahoochee River	SAM	0
CLAIBORNE	Alabama River/Mile 117.5	SAM	2
OPEKISKA	Monongahela/Mile 115.4	LRP	8
HILDEBRAND	Monongahela/Mile 108.0	LRP	9