CELINA-Construction began here on the new water treatment system at Dale Hollow National Fish Hatchery last Monday and officials with the project released a statement saying the work will affect other neighboring public access sites.

“It will be necessary to restrict public access to the fishing area below the fish hatchery and the Corps of Engineers’ walking trail while construction is taking place,” the release said.  “The trenching activities taking place will make conditions too hazardous to allow public access to the area from the public parking area, located in front of the main hatchery administration building.

“Until further notice, access to the area (trail and river shoreline) will need to be from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Dale Hollow Dam Campground or from the public parking area/trailhead located adjacent to Highway 53.”

The release said the project “also entails repairing the erosion taking place in the drainage channels below the hatchery,” a phase the release said “will be of very short duration.”

“During this phase, it will be necessary to restrict all access to and through the area, including a temporary closure of the trail,” the officials said.  “Signage and/or barriers will be placed at the Highway 53 trailhead during this closure.

“We regret any inconvenience this will cause, but we strongly feel that this needs to be done in the interest of public safety.”

This project, funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), will bring the hatchery into compliance with the Tennessee Clean Water Act.

Most of the major construction is scheduled to be completed by mid-January 2011, with the paving work to be competed in the spring of 2011.

For further information, please contact the Dale Hollow Lake Resource Manager’s Office at 243-3136 or the hatchery at 243-2443.