Marinas on Dale Hollow Lake maintaining rigorous operational standards to protect the water quality and environmental safety of Dale Hollow Lake through a continued certification as a Clean Marina.
Willow Grove Marina Owner Mickey Ledbetter said the facility was the first marina on federal property to receive the Clean Marina certification from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Ledbetter said the designation requires the marina to meet specific safety and environmental benchmarks regarding dock maintenance and fuel spill prevention.
“The status of being a Clean Marina so that when people walk in, they know what they’re getting,” Ledbetter said. “They know what they’ve got here, that you’ve got a marina here for the safety-wise and the look and to make sure that the pristineness is there.”
Ledbetter said the certification process involves a comprehensive review of the entire marina grounds and infrastructure. Ledbetter said the facility must ensure all electrical systems are safe and that the physical grounds are kept clean to prevent hazards for the visiting public.
“Basically, they come in, they inspect your facilities from… we’re going to call it from head to toe,” Ledbetter said. “You had to meet all the standards that were out there by means of dock safety, gas spillage, making sure you’re trying to catch any kind of fuel, stuff like that. It’s not just a kind of walkthrough; they look at everything that’s there.”
Ledbetter said keeping the Clean Marina status over the years has been no small feat.
“Maintenance is a big deal,” Ledbetter said. “It costs a lot of money to keep this stuff going, so we try our best to keep it up to par so that we keep our good status.”
Ledbetter said employees are trained to monitor the docks and identify potential issues while assisting customers. Ledbetter said any noted problems are addressed immediately to maintain the marina’s status.
“The water quality that we’ve got here is one of the most pristine quality… I think it was 1973, Dale Hollow Lake was classified as the cleanest inland water in the United States,” Ledbetter said. “I don’t know that we meet that standard now. That’s not because of that, because there’s been more inland waters. But you got to keep it nice and clean so that the customers that are coming here, they’re not just in Tennessee; they’re in surrounding states. So when they’re coming here, they’re looking for the best.”
Ledbetter said the marina monitors the use of biodegradable soaps and ensures houseboat owners utilize proper pump-out services to protect the lake. Ledbetter said the high water quality is a primary driver for tourism in the Upper Cumberland region.
“Most of your boaters that come to Dale Hollow…they’re very clean-oriented,” Ledbetter said. “They want to keep the lake that way because they still want to keep coming here. They want this lake to stay that way. We educate our people here. We educate our boaters that are in our slips. ‘Hey, try to do the best that you can. You have problems and things like that, let us help you.'”
Ledbetter said the marina advocates for boaters to keep their vessels in good repair to prevent environmental degradation. Ledbetter said the commitment to these standards is a core value for the mom-and-pop marina.
“The Clean Marina aspect for Willow Grove and Dale Hollow is one thing that we strive to do,” Ledbetter said. “So by keeping that up to par, those kind of things, we want to make sure we keep it up to par and make sure we follow those guidelines that are there, and the guidelines that we set as a family-owned business.”
