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By: Erin Smith
As one travels down the Locks Road in Elizabethtown, there is a sense of time standing still. The farm fields on either side of the road create a panoramic view as you approach the gate to the Lock and Dam No. 2. Once you enter the gate, a turn to the left brings you to a parking lot and a lush green park.
The Elizabethtown Town Council approved a proposed sign proclaiming the area Brown’s Landing at Lock and Dam No. 2. The proposed sign will have a similar look to the sign at the Brown’s Creek Nature Park and Bike Trail.
The town of Elizabethtown took possession of the Lock and Dam No. 2 earlier this year with plans to clean up the picnic area and creating another park for town residents to enjoy. The property had fallen into a state of disrepair and was becoming overgrown once the Corps of Engineers stopped operating the lock system.
Town Manager Eddie Madden said the town had contacted the Corps of Engineers about three years ago regarding the possibility of leasing the property but they did not receive an immediate response. Madden said that town staff were aware of the conditions at the park and asked the Corps of Engineers if they would consider turning over the maintenance of the park to the town. Madden said about six months ago, the Corps of Engineers contacted the town and a 25 year lease was negotiated.
Madden said the ultimate goal is to make needed improvements at the location.
One finds plenty of quiet in the park that overlooks the Cape Fear River. The sound of water rushing over the dam creates a sense of calm and peace as one enters the picnic shelter. If the picnic shelter isn’t quite what you had in mind there are a few tables scattered over the lawn or you can simply use your tailgate blanket to enjoy an afternoon picnic on the grounds.
If a picnic and conversation are not what you had in mind, then you can take a stroll down to the NC Wildlife Commission’s boat ramp. Beside the boat ramp is a pier that you can take a short stroll and enjoy a view of the river or you can try your luck fishing off the pier.
Madden said that the picnic and park area had been neglected and was in need of maintenance and repairs.
“It had become overgrown and was in disrepair. Our guys have done a great job bringing it back to a condition we are much happier with,” said Madden.
One improvement that is in the works for the future is a boat dock. Madden said town officials have approached the Wildife Resources Commission about building a boat dock area where folks can tie their boats and come ashore and enjoy a picnic. Madden said that a boat dock at Lock Dam No. 2 will likely not be a floating dock like the one at Tory Hole Park due to the proximity of the boat ramp to the dam.
He said town staff are also exploring the possibility of extending the picnic area.
“We are trying to generally improve the property now,” said Madden.
He said it is likely that at some point in the future, town residents will see a bike and pedestrian project along the Locks Road that will tie into the existing bike lanes on Broad Street and at the Brown’s Creek Nature Park and Bike Trail.
Madden said there are also plans to create a primitive campground at the Locks, too. He aid the priority for now is to complete the improvements being made at Tory Hole and to submit a Parks and Recreation Trust Fund grant application for Green’s Lake and Conservation Park which will be located in the Elizabethtown Industrial Park.
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