To the editor:
On the August 12 the Athens County Independent had a nice article about fishing in the Hocking River. Other articles have talked about the boat access behind the new fire station in Athens. One large recreational problem with the Hocking River is lack of river access.
Our all-volunteer nonprofit group, the Hocking River Commission, has been working on Hocking River issues over the last twenty years. HRC operates as a land trust and we have obtained approximately 200 acres along the main stem of the Hocking River. If you have visited Falls Mill in Logan, that was one of HRC’s earlier projects. HRC envisions the Hocking River as a long linear park connecting Fairfield, Hocking and Athens counties. If we managed the river like a park, we would have trees lining the river, a.k.a. riparian forest. The riparian forest is the driving force of the river ecosystem. The biggest ecological problem with the Hocking River is tree removal on the banks that creates erosion and allows the water to heat up, degrading the river ecosystem.
HRC has worked on the idea of river access. HRC believes if we had more people using the river as a recreational resource, folks would understand what a beautiful resource we have. Currently HRC is helping the county maintain the canoe launch at Guysville. Upstream HRC has partnered with ODOT and ODNR to create portage around Falls Mill in Logan, provided funding for ramps at Hocking Parkway in Nelsonville, the Beaumont Ramp near The Plains, access at County Road 24A on Athens Conservancy Baker Preserve in Cannanville, and the ramp in Guysville.
As an all-volunteer group, we are limited in our resources. Perhaps it is time for the local government to give access to the Hocking River — it’s due. We know folks love to go fishing or for a paddle on the river but it is hard to access. HRC believes it is time for the local government, tourism bureau and Outdoor Recreational Council of Appalachia to become involved in river access. This is just another piece to draw tourism to Athens County.
John Wryst
President, Hocking River Commission
Athens, Ohio
