Exploring the waters of North Alabama and around the South. Grab a paddle and let’s go, y’all…

I was born and raised in Decatur, Alabama.  Around here Decatur is known as the “River City” for being situated on the banks of the Tennessee River.  This is where I realized my love for being out on the water and exploring remote places.

The North Alabama section of the Tennessee River, which runs east to west, includes tributaries such as the Elk, Flint and Paint Rock Rivers.  This stretch of the Tennessee is also home to TVA’s Guntersville, Wheeler and Wilson Dams and their reservoirs.  Furthermore, TVA’s Pickwick reservoir begins just below Wilson Dam in Florence.   Also included in the North Alabama area is the 35,000 acre Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.

A little south and west you have Lewis Smith Lake and the Sipsey, Mulberry and Locust Forks of the Black Warrior River.  On the east side of the state you have Weiss Lake on the Coosa River.  The Cahaba River runs through the southeast side of Birmingham.  Further south and to the west, the Tombigbee River enters the state from Mississippi.  And on the east side of the state the Chattahoochee forms the border between Alabama and Georgia.

In the central part of the state, popular recreational lakes include Martin Lake, Lake Tuscaloosa, Lay Lake and Logan Martin Lake.  And, additional river systems include the Alabama, Tallapoosa and Choctawhatchee Rivers.  In other words, Alabama has an abundance of lakes and waterways for paddling, boating and fishing.  Grab a paddle and let’s go explore, y’all!!