Abandoning a road leading to the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-01-22

A landowner asked Lowndes County to abandon a road leading to the Alapaha River, in this morning’s Lowndes County Commission Work Session.

Abandonment of a portion of Old State Road (CR 16)

Phillip Connell requests that Old State Road that goes through his property and dead ends at the river be closed.

They’re holding an initial hearing followed by a public hearing “I guess it will be in three weeks at the next regular meeting” because state law requires it, according to County Engineer Mike Fletcher. He also said the bridge had washed away, and there was no access into Lanier County. And the river (it’s the Alapaha River, although I don’t think anybody ever said the name)

…is not classified as a navigable waterway; therefore Mr. Connell owns to the center of the river. You can navigate down the river by boat, but if you step out, if you get out of the boat and step on the land, you’re considered to be trespassing.
Engineer did not cite any statutes for his assertions.

Chairman said he and Commissioners Marshall and Evans had been down to the site and talked with Mr. Connell, who said he was concerned about trespass, littering, and abuse of his property. Commissioners’ concerns included continued access to all the people who currently had access. Landownder said he’d do that except for those who were unruly.

Here’s the video.


Videos by Gretchen Quarterman for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange 8:30 AM 22 January 2013.

-jsq

7 thoughts on “Abandoning a road leading to the Alapaha River @ LCC 2013-01-22”

  1. Don Thieme

    @John – This does not sound correct to me. There would be a state-mandated buffer area as long as the stream is either perennial or intermittent. I do not think any part of Alapaha River would be considered “ephemeral.” So the state would have jurisdiction over banks of this river and state citizens would be afforded access.
    Landowners can certainly police their property and call police about crimes or for protection. But we should have access to state waters by boat and there would be right-of-way where they are crossed by a state highway, power line, etc…

  2. M

    The Alapaha is designated a “Protected River Corridor” Here is the info from the state: “in areas of a protected river and being within 100 feet horizontally on both sides of the river as measured from the river banks.
    The 100 foot buffer shall be measured horizontally from the uppermost part of the river bank, usually marked by a break in slope. Although not within the measured 100 foot wide buffer, the area between the top of the bank and the edge of the river shall be treated by local governments in the same manner as the river corridor and shall be included within the River Corridor Protection Plan.”
    This info can be found in this document:
    http://www.dca.state.ga.us/development/planningqualitygrowth/programs/downloads/EPC.pdf
    Here is the map of Protected River Corridors in Georgia:
    https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0wpQ_kVRabfNi1hYTBnZFhscHM/edit

  3. travis bennett

    This is wrong!!! Many people in the area use this as a boat ramp. This is the only boat ramp for lowndes co.to the alpha river. There is also a committee that goes down there and cleans up all trash on scheduled dates. Don’t see how they claim its trashed out down there because its not! This is the second time they’ve tried to close the river. The first time they tried it we had hundreds of signatures. Needless to say lowndes co.did not close it down. The only trash thats down there is huge pieces of concrete that Mr.Connell dumped down there. Trying to block poeple from putting in boats. PLEASE HELP US KEEP THE BOAT RAMP OPEN!!!

  4. Kristofer Graham

    This is the only boat ramp we got on this river. The Naylor commitee use this boat ramp to go fishing and swimming and summer cook out with family and friends. The commitee has diff. Dates to go down there to pick up any of the trash if there is any there this is the most clean river I ever seen. We need ya”ll help to keep the river open to the public bc that this the only thing we got but the Naylor commitee need this for are kids . Because some people can’t afford to go on vacation . So parents carry there kids to this river to go swimming so they can have some all year fun…p.s thanks the naylor commitee appreciated if ya”ll can help us…(:

  6. travis bennett

    Sorry there is nowhere in Naylor to eat but breakfast and lunch at the gas station on highway 84. I can get several people that think the same way I do. We can meet at my house if you would like to. I would love any help we can get on this. It just don’t make good sense why he wants the river closed. I personally keep watch over the river and we work with a Georgia DNR official to keep clean and the unruly away from down there. Post a way to get in touch with you and I will. Thanks travis

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