One of Alabama’s most popular paddling destinations recently received a significant upgrade. State and local officials celebrated the opening of the renovated Garden City River Park with a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 24. The renovations were made possible by a settlement against Tyson Farms for a wastewater spill into the Mulberry Fork of the Black Warrior River.

The spill occurred in 2019 at Tyson Farms’ River Valley chicken processing plant in Hanceville when a pipe/hose failed and dumped wastewater into Dave Young Spring. The wastewater eventually flowed into the Mulberry Fork, resulting in a fish kill of about 175,000 fish of different species.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall filed a lawsuit against Tyson Farms that resulted in Tyson paying a little more than $3 million in settlement funds. Those funds included the establishment of a $1.5 million fund to benefit the communities in Cullman and Walker counties. The Garden City River Park and construction of the Garden City Fire Station were the first projects to be completed.

“I just had the opportunity to see it for the first time, and it was remarkable work by the Department (ADCNR) to be able to provide some significant improvements to the access of Mulberry Fork here in Garden City,” Attorney General Marshall said. “I am impressed, not only with what the team has done, but also selecting the site and creating a wonderful environment for those who want to see the river.

“This is what we envisioned when we settled the lawsuit and created the funds to do projects like this. I’m very gratified in what they’ve been able to accomplish. The purpose of the litigation was to make sure that whatever we recovered we invested directly back into the river, because that’s where the harm occurred. Our responsibility was to the communities that rely on the Mulberry and appreciate what it provides to the area, but also to restore it to a greater height. I’ve just heard nothing but excitement from those who appreciate and enjoy the river and want to take advantage of it. We have the local visitors, but also people from other regions in Alabama and beyond who take the opportunity to enjoy what the Mulberry Fork provides. It’s a unique body of water that everybody is proud of, and this is a chance to showcase what a jewel it is for the state.”

ADCNR Deputy Commissioner Ed Poolos headed the Attorney General’s Restitution Fund Oversight Committee. The group was tasked with reviewing and approving projects that would increase recreational opportunities, improve environmental conditions and protect the state’s natural resources.

“When Attorney General Marshall first called about setting up this committee and using funds from the Tyson settlement, he gave us a few goals and criteria to work off of,” Poolos said. “The first was to increase recreational opportunities for the constituents here in Cullman County. Second was to have projects that benefit the environment. Third was to have projects that benefit public health. But, finally, the most important one was to ensure all the projects we did helped the people who were impacted by the spill, that the lives of the people impacted by the spill were better.”

The work at Garden City River Park included new restroom facilities, a hiking trail, a new kayak launch and paved parking. The firm of Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood designed the park renovation.

“If you were at the park before this renovation, the main issue was the erosion of the stream bank,” Poolos said. “What we were seeing is you weren’t going to have a park in a few years. Doing the stream-bank stabilization is a game-changer there.”

Mulberry Fork is one of the most popular canoeing and kayaking destinations in Alabama with a series of whitewater rapids that vary from Class I to Class III depending on water level.

Poolos read a statement from Committee member and state Sen. Garlan Gudger, who is recovering from an accident and couldn’t attend the ribbon cutting.

“I understand how much the improvements at the park and the new fire station mean to the people of Garden City and all of Cullman County,” Gudger’s statement said. “I understand the impact the wastewater spill had on the river and the people of the city, but as I see the new amenities at the park and know the new fire station is operational, I am so encouraged by the good that has come in this situation. I thank the Attorney General and everyone on the Committee for working to make these improvements here in Garden City a reality.

“The citizens of Cullman County — my friends and neighbors — can now use the river for swimming, fishing, kayaking and other outdoor activities more easily than ever. This place will always be sacred to me because my immediate family all were baptized in the middle of this river at this exact launch.”

James Fields, a former state legislator and Committee member, said the Mulberry Fork is a popular spot for area churches to use to baptize their members.

“Just a couple of weeks ago, we had 12 from Hanceville First Methodist Church down there being baptized,” Fields said. “That was a joy to see after the completion of the park. It was so beautiful.

“We are thankful that we have an Attorney General who has a heart for small communities, building them up and keeping them viable.”

Garden City Mayor Tim Eskew said more than 300 loads of boulders and rocks on tri-axle dump trucks were hauled to the park and used for bank stabilization.

“Then we added the stairway down to the water,” Mayor Eskew said. “Then we added the kayak launch. The kayak launch will make it a lot simpler to get the kayaks into the river. When I was child, the Olympic Trials were actually held on the Mulberry Fork.”

Mayor Eskew said Garden City’s first fire station was a single room building. After two more moves, the fire department was recently able to move into the new fire station, which was built with a combination of settlement funds and city funds.

“This is a huge, huge improvement for the fire department at Garden City,” said Garden City Fire Chief Zac Thomas.

ADCNR Commissioner Chris Blankenship said he prefers attending ribbon-cuttings rather than ground-breaking events.

“Ribbon cuttings mean you’ve accomplished something,” Commissioner Blankenship said. “When they asked Deputy Commissioner Poolos to take the role as Committee Chair, I knew he was going to do a good job of coordinating the plan and really good things would come out of their work.

“Public access is so important to the quality of life and economy in Alabama. Expanding outdoor recreation opportunities is critical for our physical and mental health. We have seen that in the Department of Conservation as an opportunity to expand access to our waterways. We have more miles of navigable water in Alabama than in any other state. But we don’t have as good of access for our citizens and visitors to get on the water as we would like.  We are working to improve that access in multiple areas.”

Commissioner Blankenship highlighted the improvements to the Alabama State Parks System with more than $150 million in renovations underway as well as a substantial expansion of boating access.

“Working with Governor (Kay) Ivey and Innovate Alabama, we’re doing about $30 million of boating access projects all over the state,” he said. “So, the boating access improvements here at Garden City fit very well into that initiative that we have throughout the state to get people on the water to take advantage of those assets. That’s not just for the recreational opportunities but also for growing the economy. This type of project and the ones that follow are examples of connecting citizens with the rivers, streams and creeks in our state. Fishing, boating, tourism and the quality of life are all improved by what’s happening here at Garden City, at Colony and at Forks of the River.”

Other projects currently planned with the Tyson settlement funds will be at the Town of Colony and the Forks of the River Access Site in Sipsey. The Town of Colony will soon have direct access to the river after a gravel road and parking area are completed. The Forks of the River Project will include construction of a boardwalk, pavilion and restroom facility as well as an expansion of the parking area.

Commissioner Blankenship said ADCNR staff quickly started assessing the environmental impact of the release the day after the wastewater spill.

“Our staff did the biological assessments in the river, evaluated the fish that were killed and the impact to the wildlife from the spill,” he said. “They calculated all those values and provided the information to the Attorney General that he needed to do his job, which was to hold the responsible party accountable. I will say I am impressed with Tyson and the way they took responsibility and the work that’s been done.”