U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee is promising to delay the Army Corps of Engineers from restricting access near Cumberland River dams and says he might even restrict their funds. Alexander is the senior Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Energy and Water, which has jurisdiction over the Corps.
Tennessee and Kentucky anglers say dams are popular fishing spots because bait fish get trapped and attract larger fish that make for a good catch. But Corps officials say boating too close to the spillways is a safety risk. The Corps is planning to put barriers that would prevent fisherman from getting too close to the dams later this year.