TVA opens Songbird Trail restrooms
A Songbird Trail hiker and his dog cross over in front of the new restroom building TVA has just opened at the beginning of the trail, just downstream of Norris Dam on the Clinch River. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
There will be a ribbon-cutting event officially opening the restrooms at 10 a.m. Thursday (July 10), conducted by TVA and local officials, including Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank.
The restrooms were opened for guest use last week, just in time for the busy Independence Day weekend.
“TVA’s Songbird Trail State Wildlife Observation Area is one of the most-popular and heavily used trails on TVA-managed public lands,” the federal agency said in an announcement.
“The trail is relatively flat with a wide gravel path that makes it accessible and enjoyable for a diverse range of users, including hikers, bird watchers, anglers, seniors and families.
“The newly constructed restrooms offer improved comfort and convenience for the thousands of recreational users who visit the Norris Dam Reservation annually,” the agency said.
“This enhancement also reflects TVA’s commitment to balancing public access with responsible natural resource management.”
Installation of the restroom building follows last year’s completion of a major upgrade to the Weir Dam area just a few hundred yards downstream from the start of the Songbird Trail.
The popular trout-fishing area at the Weir Dam on the Clinch River just below Norris Dam was reopened to recreational use after nearly a year of rehabilitation work to the connected Hibbs Island.
TVA spent about $1 million and brought in 3,200 tons of rock, underpinned by 1,299 cubic yards of soil, to build a 217-foot-long berm across the island at the Weir Dam, which is about a mile downstream from Norris Dam.
