Rockingham County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) is excited to announce its acceptance of $10,000 from The Duke Energy Foundation for the grant application Enhancing Safety and Accessibility Along the Smith River. This funding will go towards constructing a new river access on the Smith River in the Eden area of Rockingham County.
The safety of Rockingham County’s blueways has always been a top priority for Rockingham County TDA, especially as popularity of water recreation continues to grow in the area. As noted by Rockingham County’s Outdoor Recreation Master Plan, the Smith River currently does not have a public river access in North Carolina above the Spray Dam. The closest public river access is Mitchell Bridge Road in Virginia, which is 10 river miles away.
“The addition of the Smith River access will enhance connectivity between North Carolina and Virginia while linking to the Dan River State Paddle Trail,” said Anna Wheeler, NC Program Coordinator for the Dan River Basin Association. “This project also addresses a critical safety concern along this section of the Smith River by offering a public, well-marked, and thoughtfully designed solution for paddlers and river goers to avoid the Spray Dam, located 1.58 miles downstream.”
Rockingham County’s four rivers have long been a key point of recreation in the community. For centuries, the rivers have played a major role in the success of industries throughout the County. Now, Rockingham County’s rivers, which are part of the RoCo Blueway, attract visitors to the area, promote outdoor recreation, and contribute to Rockingham County’s reputation as a destination for nature-based tourism. The access will support multiple uses and target recreation experiences including fishing, kayaking, canoeing, nature observation, and bird watching.
“Rockingham County TDA is thrilled to collaborate with the Dan River Basin Association, the City of Eden, and the City of Eden’s Parks and Recreation Department on this exciting project,” said Lindsay Pegg, Rockingham County Tourism Manager. “We are deeply grateful to the Duke Energy Foundation for their generous support, which will help turn this vision into a reality.”
For more information, please contact Tara Martin, Marketing Manager, at tmartin@co.rockingham.nc.us or Lindsay Pegg, Tourism Manager at lpegg@co.rockingham.nc.us.
