Robbinsville – Graham County Travel & Tourism has been working to reopen Cable Cove Campground, which the National Forest Service has left shuttered because of low usage, deteriorated facilities, flooding vulnerability and lack of electrical power.
Graham County Commissioner Dale Wiggins, who is chairman of the Travel & Tourism board, told the board at its May 12 meeting that they have been talking to the Forest Service, Wildlife Commission, Duke Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The process is still in the early stages and participants are still brainstorming, said Travel & Tourism Director Daniel Allison.
Wiggins said the biggest challenge is getting electricity to the campground.
“It’s a lofty goal, but I think if we work hard we can get there,” Wiggins told the board. “I think it’s a worthwhile project.”
One solution is for Duke Energy to extend a power line from the Eagles Nest Road area west to Cable Cove Road, but that would require cutting trees on National Forest land. A more costly alternative is to bury a power line to reach Cable Cove Road.
The 26-site Cable Cove campground is widely regarded as scenic, but usage has been low and its facilities are run-down.
With occupancy rates of only 17 percent (over a 10-year period), average annual fee receipts of approximately $9,500 per year barely cover costs for trash removal, restroom cleaning and landscaping.
The facility has over $184,300 in deferred maintenance needs. Everything ranging from shabby picnic tables to crumbling pavement cry for attention at the aging facility. An estimated $350,000 is needed to meet deferred maintenance needs and to install new restrooms to address health and safety concerns and to comply with accessibility requirements.
Also, the drinking water system, restrooms, and restroom wastewater system do not meet current health and safety requirements, and Forest Service guidelines and campground amenities do not meet current accessibility requirements for persons with disabilities.
The lack of electricity at the campground has made the operation of the water system an ongoing problem and makes it difficult to recruit campground hosts to help monitor the fragile potable water and wastewater systems, the Forest Service said.
Another reason for closing the campground is the potential for flooding. A floodplain analysis shows that approximately 50 percent of the existing campsites are located within the “10 percent annual chance floodplain” – meaning that a flood event has a 1 in 10 chance of occurring in any given year.
The Cable Cove boat ramp remains open.
Other news and notes
* The board budgeted up to $6,500 to pay an event planner to steer planning for Graham County’s 150th anniversary celebration. There have been three meetings to plan for celebration events in mid-August, but no specific action has been taken and attendees at planning meetings have said that having an event planner will help the process along;
* Board members expressed hope for more flexibility for when water is released from Lake Santeetlah into the Cheoah River. Releases occur 18 days a year and are a major draw for whitewater kayakers. The tourism industry wants the releases to be adjusted so that they don’t coincide with holidays, when the county is already a tourist attraction. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. For example, there were two days of releases on Mother’s Day Weekend. The next scheduled river release is Friday and Saturday.