PADUCAH, Ky. –The U. S. Coast Guard has canceled the safety zone on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers from mile marker 206 (Pickwick Landing) to mile marker 0 (Paducah, Ky.). Recreational boaters are allowed on all portions of the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, including Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley.
Heavy rain falls throughout the Tennessee Valley necessitated record high-water discharge rates from dams along both river systems, which created hazardous river conditions for recreational vessels.
The Coast Guard would like to remind boaters to always wear life jackets; file a float plan with a family member, friend or marina; carry a marine radio; and possess emergency signaling devices. Vessels should operate at the slowest safe speed while transiting in and out of bays and marinas and remember that these extreme flows have made navigation buoys in the area unreliable.
