Greenwood County’s new boat ramp gives public lake access
Friday’s gray, misty morning wasn’t the best lake weather, but the day still marked a major step in expanding access to Lake Greenwood.
County officials, lake lovers and fishing enthusiasts gathered at the new Greenwood County boat ramp, beside Break on the Lake along Highway 72/221. The ramp, first approved with the 2016 Capital Project Sales Tax, had been under construction since January. On Friday, after multiple delays in construction, county officials were able to finally snip a ceremonial ribbon to open the ramp to the public.
Alongside the new boat ramp and docks, there are dozens of parking spaces to accommodate boat trailers, a modern restroom facility and a roof giving shelter to a few picnic tables.
“It’s certainly a tangible reminder of our mission to provide safe and convenient access for all our citizens to our most prized asset in Greenwood County — Lake Greenwood,” County Council Chairperson Chuck Moates said.
He thanked the engineers at Davis & Floyd for their work planning the facility, the builders at MAR Construction, the county staff who helped coordinate the project and the residents who supported the CPST, which funded the project to the tune of $720,000. Other funds for this project came from a DNR grant of more than $682,000 and another $300,000 from the state.
The vote to approve this project was the first one council member Dayne Pruitt of District 5 cast on council. Since that initial vote, there were delays in the project. Construction was expected to be done by late July, then the target moved to August.
In the end, the delays meant the builder incurred penalties laid out in the contract, getting the county an estimated $11,000 for the delay.
Council member Theo Lane also represents a part of the lake. He remembered sitting on the back porch of late council member Steve Brown one day in 2016, discussing the county’s future.
“One of the things we talked about, we talked about many things, but one of the things we talked about was our shared belief that this beautiful Lake Greenwood … was an economic engine that had never been turned on,” he said.
The plan to activate the lake as a coherent economic driver for the county came with the 2015 lake master plan. The plan identified the need for a destination restaurant on Lake Greenwood’s shores, as well as increased access.
On Friday, a crowd stood at a new boat ramp, beside the Break on the Lake restaurant and the housing development beside it. In 2017, Lane said, there was no sign of these developments — only woods.
“There would be people who would say it’s not the job of county government beyond providing essential services to create things like this,” Lane said. “I would say that’s crazy, because if your people tell you that’s what they want and they need, and you know those initiatives will drive the economy of this county, why in the world would you do otherwise?”
One of the ramp’s biggest benefits is the access it gives for fishing. The Lander University fishing team, Ninety Six Wildcat Anglers and the Eagle Eye Anglers were there to launch the first boats after the ramp officially opened. Kelly McWhorter, executive director of Discover Greenwood, said sports tourism will benefit from this new ramp as Greenwood can market the lake for larger fishing tournaments.
“The other thing that’s going to help us are the additional boat parking spaces,” she said. “The interest and energy is definitely there for Greenwood to step up when it comes to fishing tournaments.”
Jimmy Peden, a co-founder of Connect Lake Greenwood and an integral hand in the 2015 lake master plan, said Highway 72/221 is like Lake Greenwood’s main street. Break on the Lake and the county’s signage along the highway were the first steps to putting the lake’s best face forward, and this ramp continues that effort, he said.
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Dec 10, 2022
By DAMIAN DOMINGUEZ ddominguez@indexjournal.com