Day 45 - October 28, 2012: Tombigbee and Bay Springs Lake

The Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway is a 450-mile-long series of man-made channels, lakes, dams and locks, and existing rivers. It connects the Midwest to the Gulf Coast, starting at the Tennessee River and running through Mississippi and Alabama to Mobile.

Although authorized by Congress in 1946, it was subject to much debate over cost and environmental impact until it was finally initiated in 1971 by the Army Corps of Engineers. The construction involved moving more dirt than the entire Panama Canal, and when finally finished 14 years later in 1985, it ended up costing over $2B.

Loopers take advantage of this waterway to avoid the wide, shallow and heavily trafficked Lower Mississippi and provide a safer and simpler cruising route to the Gulf. We entered the waterway in a section called the Divide Cut, which looks just like a canal with high tapered banks lined with rip rap (stone fill). This section has consistent widths, long straight sections and gentle curves. You can tell it was the product of civil engineers, and they did a great job.

MS Hwy 25 Bridge and entrance to the Divide Cut

Typical canal-like banks with riprap

After this canal comes Bay Springs Lake which is formed by the Jamie L. Whitten Lock and Dam. It has many well protected coves, and we spent the night anchored in one also named Bay Springs. 

Evening sun at Bay Springs Cove

We are well aware of Hurricane Sandy which is threatening the east coast and which may impact the many who live there including home owners, businesses, and boaters (including loopers). The counterclockwise winds are also bringing the Arctic winds down to this area, and we have had high winds (25-30 mph gusts) and cold weather (mornings in the 30s and highs in the 50s). A couple of days ago we had colder highs/lows than Spring Lake! Gee whiz, we came south to wear shorts, not sweats.