Waterfall in Spring Park flowing once again
It has taken the better part of a year, but the Coldwater Falls waterfall in Spring Park is once again flowing.
The City of Tuscumbia held a ceremony for the return of the feature on Dec. 20.
Mayor William Foster thanked all parties involved who helped get the feature back up and running, including TVA and the Alabama Trail of Tears Corridor Association.
A $2,000 donation from the official 31st annual Trails of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride shirt sale and group members Dave and So Me Nelson has been given to Tuscumbia to help replace the water pumps for Coldwater Falls,” the group said in a release.
“This is the world’s largest man-made natural stone waterfall. The falls are 80-feet wide and 48-feet tall. It makes an amazing backdrop to the ‘Sacred Tears’ statue monument. This is a monument to the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chocktaw and Seminole people that marched through this area on their way to Oklahoma on Nov. 30, 1827.
“Some 90,000 Indian people were relocated during the 1830s. The good people of Tuscumbia no doubt saved many lives through their generosity in giving food and clothing to Native Americans as they passed.”
The monument was dedicated in September 2003 and funded by the motorcyclists who participate in the “Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride” and the Alabama-Tennessee Trail of Tears Corridor Association. The cast bronze statue is 8-feet tall and weighs a ton.
According to Parks and Recreation Director Brooks Canup, earlier this year the waterfall was turned on using one pump, but it only worked about 12 hours before malfunctioning.
That pump was salvageable, however, and the City Council unanimously approved accepting a $5,400 bid from Jay Industrial Repair in Sheffield at its meeting on Aug. 5 to fix it. The money came from the general fund.
Donations, including from the Trail of Tears, helped fund a second pump.
Since Canup was named the Parks and Recreation director earlier this year, the City has worked to fix the fountain show feature, which was also down thanks to its own issues, including a possible lightning strike to its computer system, as well as fix the waterfall and remove aquatic vegetation from the pond.
“The biggest challenge is to upkeep it, but we’re going to make our park look how it should,” Canup said.
The roller coaster has also been torn down in Spring Park to make way for a “tot lot,” which will feature attractions for younger visitors too small to play on other equipment.
The City Council approved a bid for the lot at a recent meeting.
