Middlefork Bottoms receives more state funding

Jackson Sun

This stream, that is currently dry, is meant to be one of the first areas filled with flood water as the Middlefork Bottoms area's primary purpose is flood control.

West Tennessee River Basin Authority received a grant from the state of Tennessee for $400,000 on May 6 to go toward the work at the Middlefork Bottoms Recreational Area just south of Three Way.

Officials from the state government were on hand for a check presentation to David Blackwood, the executive director of the river basin authority.

The area is on Sanders Bluff Road, just west of Highway 45 between Jackson and Three Way.

Tennessee Commissioner of Conservation and Environment David Salyers (far right), presents a check for $400,000 to David Blackwood, the executive director of the West Tennessee River Basin Authority. TDEC Recreation Division Director Anne Marshall and State Representative Chris Todd were on hand for the presentation as well.

Now that the first phase of the project is complete, it’s open, and outdoors enthusiasts can come enjoy the scenery and the trials.

“Nearly all five miles of the trails are paved,” Blackwood said. “We’ve got a few spots here and there that need paving.

“But all the earthwork and water features – the bridges and crossings – they’re all complete.”

Tennessee Commissioner of Conservation and Environment David Salyers, who was Blackwood's predecessor as director of the West Tennessee authority, made the presentation and was able to discuss a lot of the history of how the project came about in response to the floods of 2010 that damaged a lot of levees in the area around the project.

Up next is the second phase, which includes trail heads and overlooks as well as a welcome center.

The welcome center is currently unfunded, but Blackwood is hoping the Friends of the Middlefork Bottoms fundraising group can partner with Madison County and the State of Tennessee to fund that.

This is a pond near the eastern edge of Middlefork Bottoms as seen from the spot where the proposed welcome center is designed to be built. The plan is to keep this pond stocked with fish for fishing purposes.

Once complete, Blackwood said he envisions a place that has restrooms, an outdoors pro shop, a conference center and a nice overlook in front of the first fishing pond closest to the eastern end of the area.

The area that’s currently open is 858 acres, but there’s an additional 300 acres adjacent to the property where a waterfowl refuge will be put in that won’t be as accessible to the public.

“This area was intended and designed to help with flood control, but also to give people here a place to come enjoy the outdoors,” Blackwood said.

Once Phase 2 is complete, Blackwood is hoping for a third phase that will add enhancements to the area to make it even more inviting to the public.

Reach Brandon Shields at bjshields@jacksonsun.com. Follow him on Twitter @JSEditorBrandon or on Instagram at editorbrandon.