Horse Trails To Close

TVA officials will likely close the property near the Barton Springs Bridge on Lyndell Bell Road to horseback riding in the coming months, unless area planners can come up with a way to halt the environmental damage reportedly caused by the riding. A TVA spokesman says that a recent land assessment, which monitors the uses of TVA property, observed approximately 7 ½ miles of unauthorized trails on the 100-150 acres set aside for natural resource retention. According to TVA, those trails are causing serious environmental damage. According to the TVA, riding in the area is currently permitted, but the agency is concerned about erosion from the volume of traffic. At the request of local officials, the TVA provided a local riding group and the South Central Tennessee Development District an opportunity to develop a plan by the end of August that would allow further riding without allowing additional damage the property. The network of trails that crisscross the area in many areas have worn deep into the hilly terrain, six-feet deep in places. TVA officials say they are doubtful that a workable solution can be made to allow continued riding in the area.-Manchester Times-