Water Trail Conference draws a crowd

On Thursday, more than 80 people gathered in Irvine to discuss the development of the Kentucky River Water Trail and potential tourism opportunities related to it.
Estill County Judge-Executive Wallace Taylor welcomed guests from the Kentucky River Authority, Kentucky Adventure Tourism, the Kentucky RiverKeeper and the National Park Service to Estill County.
Taylor remembers growing up by the river and watching tugboats and barges on it.
“We need to utilize the river better,” he said, pointing out that there are two locks inside the county and another close by.
He said he would like to see the old lock houses restored and a park or tourist attraction developed near them.
Pat Banks, the Kentucky Riverkeeper, provided an update on the Kentucky River Water Trail.  She said the trail is a good way to promote stewardship of the river.
“To get people to care about it, you have to get them on it,” she said.
She praised the involvement of local volunteers and the county government for helping with the canoe launch at the county park and for their enthusiasm about the project in general.
Alison Bullock, a representative of the National Park Service, said the ultimate goal is to have the Kentucky River Water Trail become part of the National Water Trail.
She said to make a trail work, information must be provided for the public about access through signs, brochures and websites.  Both long term and routine trail maintenance must also be addressed.
The Executive Director of the Kentucky Adventure Tourism, Elaine Wilson, said part of her job is to figure out “how to marry trails to towns” in Kentucky.  She said there are 12,000 miles of trails in the state but a lack of coordination between government programs and agencies to maximize services and resources.
She said for a town to be designated a trail town it needs to be friendly, knowledgeable of its surrounding trails and a place willing to share its culture, history and stories.
Towns have to make application to become trail towns.  If they are chosen, the town will be identified with brown signs along the interstate and other signs will direct tourists all the way in to town.
Local bait and tackle shops, entertainment, craft shops, Wi-Fi, ATMs, bed and breakfasts, local folklore and history are all assets to becoming trail towns.   Towns must also address such issues as how guests can secure their watercraft and bicycles from theft.
Wilson said the trail town program can provide a lot of opportunities, but the final efforts have to be made by individual towns.  “It’s what you want to make of it,” she said.
Joe Crawford with the EDA gave a brief talk about the benefits of social media and how it relates to the river.  He said websites like Trip Advisor are beneficial in promoting a place.
Rob Rumpke, with Bluegrass Tomorrow, talked about planning an “all river event,” the first one to be held in Frankfort.  He said that Bluegrass Tomorrow is a regional organization that supports the Kentucky River Water Trail Alliance.
Jerry Graves, executive director of the Kentucky River Authority, said, “People are interested in coming back to the Kentucky River.  Like the field of dreams, if you build it, they will come.”
Malissa McAlister, of Kentucky Division of Water’s Watershed Watch, said “Anything we do on land affects the water.”
She said volunteers are needed to collect water samples to be tested three or four times a year.  These samples can be taken from creeks, streams or the river, and the results can be used to improve and protect water quality for swimming, fishing and drinking.
The morning session of the conference concluded with a drawing for door prizes, and lunch was provided by Rader’s River Grill.
After lunch, there was a ribbon-cutting on the water to officially dedicate pools 11 and 12, followed by a tour of the grounds at lock 12 to discuss further ways to develop tourism.