From Andrea White: This is a class I section of the Caney Fork below Center Hill dam. It is a very popular paddling destination for recreational paddlers in the summer because it is dam release and many middle Tennessee rivers do not have enough water to float in August. The water is very cold, year 'round. A few years ago TVA replaced the generators in this dam with more efficient generators so when it has 2 generators going it is pumping significantly more water than it has in years past.
This stretch of river is a known trouble spot due to crowds, conflicts between trout fishermen and kayak outfitters/paddlers, and the speed of flow during dam generation combined with inexperienced paddlers. We also typically have several instances each summer when multiple vehicles get flooded for parking too close to the river before the dam starts generating. This is one of the primary paddling destinations for the Nashville region, which is the state capitol and the most populous metropolitan area in the state.
TWRA identifies kayaker who died on family trip in Smith County
by: Sierra Rains, www.wkrn.com
Posted: Aug 28, 2023
SMITH COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) has released more information regarding a fatal kayaking incident Saturday, including the identity of the man who died.
Jerry Ozmon, 65, of Scottsville, Kentucky, was on Caney Fork River kayaking with his family on the evening of Saturday, Aug. 26 near the I-40 rest area, the TWRA reported.
The group stopped on a gravel bar and, just before 5 p.m., was getting back in their kayaks to complete their float. That’s when witnesses reported Ozmon’s kayak got caught in the current and flipped over.
Authorities said Ozmon was not wearing a lifejacket. When first responders arrived at the scene, they said Ozmon was brought back to the Happy Hollow boat ramp, where he received medical care.
The Smith County Rescue Squad took Ozmon to Riverview Regional Medical Center in Carthage, but he did not survive. According to the TWRA, the incident is the 20th boating-related fatality on Tennessee waters so far this year.
In a Facebook post following the incident, the Smith County Rescue Squad stressed the importance of wearing a lifejacket, while also asking the community to keep Ozmon’s family in their prayers.
“According to the generation information, 2 plus generators were operating at the time. We say this over & over please please wear your life jackets and especially when there is heavy generation,” the post said.
By Larry Woody
Larry Woody's Woods and Waters
The Caney Fork River is one of Tennessee’s most scenic streams, and at times one of the most tranquil, as it meanders lazily through rolling farmlands and towering bluffs. At other times it can kill you.ts gentle current can become a raging torrent when water is suddenly – and sometimes without warning – released through power-generating turbines at Center Hill Dam.
Downriver, the water can rise from knee-deep to several feet in minutes. But it’s not the depth, but the powerful current that has proven fatal to fishermen and boaters over the years. It can overturn boats – as it did a kayak in a recent drowning – and sweep away wading anglers.
A trout-fishing buddy and I were almost among the latter. We were wading along in the shallows when we suddenly noticed the current picking up and the water rising. We immediately realized what was happening – they had begun generating – and we started back up-stream. But the current was already too strong, so we headed for the bank.
We scrambled up the steep embankment through bushes and vines, with the rising water churning at our heels. We escaped, but others weren’t so fortunate. I can’t find any statistics on the number of Caney Fork drownings, but there was one shortly after our close call a few years ago. Last month’s kayak capsize was the most recent.
What makes the Caney so dangerous is the unpredictable generation schedule. When there’s no generation, the river is low and calm. But it can change in a heartbeat, catching fishermen and boaters off-guard. The Corps of Engineers, which operates the dam that produces hydroelectric power, posts a “Caney Fork Generation Schedule” on its website, and a number to call for information. The problem is, it’s not reliable. It comes with a warning: “Water release schedules can change without notice due to unanticipated weather changes or power system requirements. Large amounts of water could be discharged at any time.” The schedule lists how many generators will be in use at specific times during a 24-hour period. One generator creates a gentle current; two or more produces a raging torrent.
From its beginning as a trickle near Crossville, until it empties into the Cumberland River near Carthage, the Caney Fork is 144 miles long. The final 27 miles below the dam offer some of the best trout fishing, rafting, kayaking and canoeing in the Southeast. Unfortunately – and sometimes tragically – it comes with a grim warning: “Use at your own risk.”
