Bay Springs

Welcome to Bay
Springs Lake and the Divide Cut Section of the Tenn-Tom Waterway!  
Bay Springs Lake, the only deep-water lake on the waterway,
contains 6,700 acres and has 133 miles of shoreline.  
The Lake is connected to the Yellow Creek embayment of the
Tennessee River by a 25-mile long canal that was dug between the
hills that separate the Tennessee and Tombigbee River Basins.  
Bay Springs Lake provides a variety of recreational
opportunities including fishing, boating, swimming and water skiing.

Numerous other
facilities such as campgrounds, beaches, picnic areas, overlooks and
a marina are provided for the enjoyment of our visitors.  
These facilities are described in the following paragraphs.

If more information
is desired, the visitor should stop by our Visitor Center located
at the Resource Office or call (662) 423-1287.

Bay Springs
Resource Management Office and Visitor Center

The Bay Springs
Resource Management Office and Visitor center is located on the east
side of Bay Springs Lake about one mile from Bay Springs Lake about
one mile from Bay Springs Lock & Dam.  
The building houses the staff that is responsible for Park
and Natural Resource Management activities on the northern part of
the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.  
The building also contains a visitor center with exhibits and
displays about the facilities available on the project, the natural
resources of the area and the history of the area.  
A small

Fishing, Hunting
and Wildlife Management

Fishing is a
popular sport especially in the spring of the year.  
However this activity continues year round.  
Bay Springs Lake plays host to numerous tournaments
throughout the spring, summer and fall months.

Hunting is another
activity that is popular during the winter and early spring months.  
Hunting is only allowed in certain areas around Bay Springs
Lake and on the Divide Cut.  These
areas are managed by the Holcut Office of Mississippi Department of
Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.  
Hunters should contact the Holcut Office at 423-1455 prior to
engaging in any hunting activity.

In addition to
wildlife management activities carried on by the State, the Corps of
Engineers conducts several activities that benefit fisheries and
wildlife.

Spring and fall
food plots are planted in selected areas around the lake to benefit
deed, turkey and other species.  
Woody plantings are made annually.  
Nesting structures are provided for wood ducks, songbirds and
squirrels.  Fish
attractors are installed in the lake each year by the resource staff
and volunteers.

Marina

Bay Springs Marina
is the only Marina on this section of the Tennessee-Tombigbee
Waterway and is located on the north side of the Corps of Engineers
operated West Damsite Recreation Area.   The marina contains 150 boat slips ranging in size from 20’
to 60’ in length.  Electrical
service is available on some boat slips.  
The marina provides fuel service offering gasoline and
diesel, emergency service for stranded boaters and has boater’s
sewage pump out.  Restroom
facilities are available at the marina.  
Open since 1983 the marina is a family owned business
operated year round by F.E. Mills Enterprises, Inc.

Boat Ramps

The Corps of
Engineers operates six concrete boat ramps with paved parking areas
around Bay Springs Lake and on the Divide Cut.  
There are three boat ramps on the east side of the lake
Crow’s Neck, McDougal Branch and Cotton Springs, two on the west
side at West Damsite and Piney Grove and one at the northern most
end of the waterway at Scrugg’s Bridge.  
Waterborne restroom facilities are provided at each of these
ramps.  The City of
Burnsville, MS operates a concrete boat ramp with gravel parking at
their city park on the Divide Cut.  
Prentiss County Mississippi operates two concrete boat ramps
with gravel parking on the west side of Bay Springs Lake at the
Bayberry and Gin Branch areas.

Picnic Areas and
Overlooks

Bay Springs Lake
and the Divide Section are blessed with numerous Picnic and Overlook
areas.   Facilities are
available to accommodate large and small groups as will as
individuals and families.  Picnic
facilities are available at West Damsite Recreational Area, McDougal
Branch Recreation Area, Piney Grove Recreation Area, Paden Park and
Overlook, Holcut Memorial Park, Divide Overlook and Scruggs Bridge
Overlook with shelters being available at all these areas except
Scruggs Bridge Overlook.  All
shelters are available for reservations.  
When the shelters are not reserved, they may be used on a
first come first served basis.

Water Related
Activities

Bay Springs Lake
has two beautiful white sandy beaches.  
Old Bridge Beach is located next to the dam on the west side
of the lake and Piney Grove Beach is located inside Piney Grove
Recreation Area.  Both
beaches have restroom facilities, showers, picnic shelters and
volleyball courts.  Gate
attendants are provided for fee collection and security.  
The beaches are open from May through mid-September.

There are 6,700
acres of water surface on Bay Springs Lake and 1,050 on the Divide
Section that is available for boating and skiing.  
The area on the Divide Section is very popular with skiers
because of its smooth surface and protection from the wind.

Please remember
that all Federal, State of Mississippi and local boating laws apply.

Camping

Piney Grove
Campground is the only Corps of Engineer operated campground on this
section of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.  
It is located on the west side of Bay Spring Lake within the
Piney Grove Recreation Area.  The
Campground is operated from the beginning of March through the end
of October each year.  It
contains 139 Class A campsites with water and electrical service.   Three restrooms with shower facilities, a laundry
building, a fish cleaning station, a sanitary sewage dump station,
playground facilities and fishing piers are also available.  
A gate attendant is provided to collect fees and provide
security.  Pine Grove
Campground and be reached by calling (662) 728-1134.

Camping is offered
at the Bay Springs Marina at their Whippoorwill Campground, which
contains thirteen campsites and two small cabins with water and
electrical service.  For
information on these camping facilities call the Bay Springs Marina
at (662) 728-2449.

Bay Springs Lock
& Dam

Bay Springs Lock
& Dam is the northern most of the ten locks and dams on the
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.   It is located just above Mississippi Highway 4 about six
miles west of Dennis, MS.  The
lock, which was completed in 1979 is 600 feet long, 110 feet wide
and has a lift of 84 feet, which is the 3^rd highest east
of the Mississippi River.  Six
standard size barges along with their towboats can be locked through
the forty-six million gallons of water.  
It takes approximately fifteen minutes to empty a filled lock
chamber.  The lock is
open year round twenty-four hours per day for boat traffic.  
The commodity most often transported through the lock is wood
products, which account for about 50% of the traffic

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour joined Toyota officials today to announce that the company has chosen a 1,700-acre site in Blue Springs, Mississippi to build its eighth North American vehicle assembly plant.

The new plant, to be located just outside of Tupelo, will have the capacity to build 150,000 vehicles annually of Toyota's popular Highlander sport utility vehicle. Production is scheduled to begin by 2010.

The new plant represents a $1.3 billion investment by Toyota and is expected to create approximately 2,000 new jobs for the region and indirectly create work for many more. Operations at the plant will include stamping, body weld, plastics, paint, and assembly.

Governor Barbour, speaking at a news conference held in Tupelo, welcomed Toyota's decision to set up operations in Mississippi.

"We in Mississippi and especially North Mississippi are excited to have been chosen by Toyota as its partner," said Governor Barbour. "Toyota is the world's premiere auto manufacturer and our state will be the best partner the company has."

Toyota manufacturing Executive Vice Presidents, Gary Convis and Ray Tanguay, joined Governor Barbour at the announcement to help deliver the good news to local citizens.

Convis addressed Toyota's challenge in balancing rapid growth while maintaining the company's superior quality standards, noting the recent start up of Tundra production in San Antonio and upcoming launch of Camry production at the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana.

"We are excited for the opportunity to do business in Mississippi and are confident the team members here will have a commitment to perform at the highest possible level," he said. "Governor Barbour and the regional economic development team were very convincing and unrelenting in their efforts to showcase the area's advantages," Convis said, while acknowledging that competition among several states for the new plant was tough.

Tanguay also pointed out several factors that led to Toyota's site selection decision.

"On my visits to Northern Mississippi, I have talked with area companies and observed their workforce," said Tanguay. "What I observed were people who are educated, ethical and friendly with a strong work ethic – a perfect match for the Toyota Way." He added that the area's existing companies had high praise for the workforce. "They were definitely the best sales people."

Convis and Tanguay both recognized the contributions of the team who worked on bringing Toyota's fifth vehicle assembly plant to the U.S., citing the team effort put forth by state and local officials and the private sector.

"The partnership of all of these groups was instrumental to our decision, including the creation of a new rail district to provide competitive rail access for the plant," said Tanguay.

"We're honored that Toyota has chosen to invest in our state and grow with Mississippians," said Trent Lott, Senator of Mississippi. "This is a partnership between one of the world's best companies, and a state which has already proven itself capable of attracting the world's top defense, automotive and aerospace jobs."

Mississippi Senator Thad Cochran and Congressman Roger Wicker also participated in the announcement.

Site preparation and construction for the plant is scheduled to begin later this spring. A majority of the hiring will take place closer to the start of vehicle production.