District Digest News Stories

Cheatham park rangers awarded for ‘water safety’ efforts

Nashville District
Published March 7, 2016
Park Ranger Kyle Beverly receives a water safety award from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division during a ceremony March 1, 2016 for Cheatham Lake's outreach efforts to people of diverse age groups and backgrounds.  Lt. Col. Stephen Murphy, Nashville District commander, made the presentation on behalf of Operations Division Chief, Kareem S. El-Naggar.

Park Ranger Kyle Beverly receives a water safety award from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Great Lakes and Ohio River Division during a ceremony March 1, 2016 for Cheatham Lake's outreach efforts to people of diverse age groups and backgrounds. Lt. Col. Stephen Murphy, Nashville District commander, made the presentation on behalf of Operations Division Chief, Kareem S. El-Naggar.

Park Ranger Dean Austin, natural resource specialist, hands out water safety promotional items with visitors of Cheatham Lake at Right Bank recreation area July 11, 2015. (USACE photo by Kyle Beverly)

Park Ranger Dean Austin, natural resource specialist, hands out water safety promotional items with visitors of Cheatham Lake at Right Bank recreation area July 11, 2015. (USACE photo by Kyle Beverly)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 7, 2016) – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District park rangers from Cheatham Lake received the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division 2015 Water Safety Award during a ceremony March 1, 2016.

 

Lt. Col. Stephen F. Murphy, Nashville District commander, presented the award on behalf of Operations Division Chief, Kareem S. El-Naggar, which recognized park rangers Brian Mangrum, Kyle Beverly, Dean Austin, and Michael Kuntz for their work to spread the water safety message to people of diverse age groups and backgrounds.   

 

“This award represents getting out there educating the public on wearing their life jacket and the dangers of drinking and boating - it makes a difference.” said Murphy. “We are the third largest district in the division, and my hat is off for your hard work and the huge impact you make.” 

 

Larry Nash, Cheatham Lake natural resource manager, said he is extremely proud of the achievements the staff has reached and the importance of their efforts. He noted that every year the park rangers strive to reach and impact over 13,000 people a year with water safety education.

 

“Water safety is a primary mission of the overall visitor assistance program to provide the public the safest recreational environment that we can provide.” said Nash.  “In the summer time when the public is here, our primary focus is to keep them safe.”

 

To promote public safety, the park rangers maintain a presence on the lakes, recreation areas and campgrounds throughout the year and interact with the public in these areas during the recreation season.

 

"We strive to make water safety a year round goal, and by doing that we often have to change our programs or venues depending on the time of the year.” said Park Ranger Kyle Beverly, natural resource specialist.  “Last year we were able to do programs at the youth duck hunt, Cheatham County fair, Wounded Warrior fishing tournament, and Metro Park’s summer programs along with boat patrols and driving thru the recreation areas and campgrounds.”

 

Nashville District park rangers have the ability to enforce federal boating regulations.  They routinely engage the public recreating on Corps lakes to promote good water safety practices when boating and recreating. 

 

Cheatham Lake, which is a run of the river project, falls within six counties in Tennessee in the Cumberland River basin. Within these counties the Corps of Engineers manages two campgrounds, eight recreation areas and hosts more than one million visitors a year within its 320 miles of shoreline.

 

(The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at www.lrn.usace.army.mil, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/nashvillecorps.  The public can also visit Cheatham Lake’s Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cheathamlake.)