Beaver Creek Kayak Club connects Knox County’s various communities around one common thread, well creek, in order to keep the water clean and attract people to outdoor recreation.
The group’s namesake is the longest waterway in Knox County and runs through five communities beginning in Halls and ending in Hardin Valley. Back in 2015, it was unclear how feasible it would be to float a kayak down the creek. That’s when some friends, including cousins Charlie Austin and Blake Wilson, decided to try it.
Charlie Austin
“One of us had the crazy idea to get a kayak and go down Beaver Creek,” Wilson said. “And I said, ‘That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.’”
Wilson, a little skeptical, explained he had previously ventured down the water trail in a canoe and found it “miserable” because of obstacles in the creek. Austin was a little more optimistic. He remembered playing and floating in Beaver Creek as a child and knew that it could be done.
Despite potential obstacles, Austin, Wilson and others purchased kayaks and tried it anyway. In early floats, the friends realized there was an opportunity for improvement.
“We saw the debris jams. We saw the trash in the creek and really wanted to put forth an effort to get that stuff cleared out and cleaned up,” Austin said.
The Beaver Creek Kayak Club was officially formed in 2016 and what started as recreation became giving back to the community.
Members organized groups of volunteers to help clean up the creek and remove trees that blocked the waterway. When large blockages couldn’t be easily cleared, they communicated with Knox County officials who would send out crews to assess and help remove them.
This effort, Austin explained, is not only important for recreation, but also for health and safety issues. Cleaning up the creek mitigates flooding and improves the water quality.
“At the end of the day, Beaver Creek is still our drinking water, so, you know, we need to keep it clean,” Austin said.
As word spread, membership grew. According to Austin, the club currently includes around 200 members active in the week-to-week activities and over 2,000 members on its Facebook page.
Many get involved to give back and connect with the community. Josh Goldman joined after moving from Chattanooga.
“It was an opportunity for me to not only be outdoors – and to encourage others to be – but to [also] be part of a group that was making a small difference in our small community,” he said.
Goldman has seen the impact of the club’s efforts since he joined. His first time on the creek he had to stop about six times because of debris. More recently, the creek was clear but for one log jam and a temporary construction bridge for utility work.
Beaver Creek now receives official county support. Last August, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs announced the Knox County Water Trail project, which committed $452,000 toward cleaning up and constructing new kayak put-ins on Beaver Creek. The county partnered with Legacy Parks Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to conserving recreational space in East Tennessee, and Beaver Creek Kayak Club for this effort.
Austin said the goal would be10 to 14 put-ins down the 44-mile waterway. Two are already in – one at the Roy Arthur Stormwater Park on Harrell Road and the other on Brickyard Road behind Powell High School.
“We really have a golden opportunity to draw people from outside of our state, to experience what we have right here on Beaver Creek.”
With the waterway improving, Austin said, it’s easier for people to float.
“Everybody who goes to the creek, first off, is completely surprised. They don’t expect to see what they see. The creek is lined with beautiful trees, you know, different species of plants and birds like crazy, all kinds of wildlife, and it really transports them to a different place.”
People often coordinate floats and share pictures and videos of their adventures on the kayak club’s Facebook page.
The club hosts an annual flotilla which gives community members, especially those who are less experienced with kayaks, the opportunity to get in one.
This year’s Powell Station Flotilla will start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 14, at the put-in behind Powell High School. State Rep. Michele Carringer is the honorary float master. There is no charge and a few kayaks are available to rent through RiverSports.
Members of the Beaver Creek Kayak Club will assist attendees throughout their entire float. Volunteers will put kayaks in the water, help attendees get in without tipping over, float down without complications and get out at the end. They also offer shuttle rides back to the starting point. The takeout is in the Weigel’s field across from Powell Middle School.
You can connect with the Beaver Creek Kayak Club (and see more details about this year’s Flotilla) on its Facebook page.
Baylor Spears, a Gibbs High graduate, is a rising senior in journalism at Northwestern University. She is an intern this summer for KnoxTNToday.com.