Wahoo Creek Park is just one of the many Corps Parks the county now operates through various agreements.
Hall County Parks & Leisure has taken over management of 11 parks on Lake Lanier that were previously operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. Through a new joint management partnership with the Corps of Engineers, the county will oversee day-to-day operations.
The parks are Balus Creek, Burton Mill, Old Federal Day use, Van Pugh North, Mountain View, Robinson, Simpson, Little Hall, Little River, Belton Bridge and Lula.
The objective is two-fold: to shift some operational functions and costs to local government, and to allow fees collected at the parks to be used locally on the parks.
Those include maintenance, janitorial services, trash removal, mowing and overall site management. The county will also support environmental stewardship efforts and continue enhancing the recreational experience for the public, according to a news release issued by Hall County Parks & Leisure.
“Each of these agreements between Hall County and the Corps of Engineers stipulate that all revenue remains local,” said Brent Holloway, director of Parks & Leisure. “Instead of user fees going to Washington, DC and being reallocated to Corps properties across the country, every dollar spent at parks we co-manage stays in Hall County and is re-invested in the ongoing operations and improvements at these parks.”
Since 2023, Hall County has jointly managed three Lake Lanier campgrounds through a similar agreement. The campgrounds are Old Federal, Bolding Mill and Duckett Mill.
Hall County currently leases four parks from the Corps: Laurel Park, Sardis Creek, River Forks and Wahoo Creek.
“The biggest benefit to the public is the assurance that these parks will remain open, providing recreation opportunities and access to Hall County’s greatest natural resource, Lake Lanier,” he said.
The county now has more parks than any county in the United States: 23 US Army Corps of Engineers parks on Lake Lanier and another 27 parks throughout the county.
Forsyth County and Dawson County have similar joint management agreements with the Corps of Engineers.
Wahoo Creek Photo: courtesy Hall County; Sardis Park photo by Alan Hope
