More access. More recreational opportunities. Both are key dreams – and plans – of Alabama cities along the Tennessee River, and the Tennessee Valley Authority is helping those cities get there.

A new discussion about the river is under way in the “Tennessee RiverLine” project, a TVA effort to create a “continuous system of paddling, hiking and biking trails” along the river’s 652 miles between Knoxville, Tenn., and Paducah, Ky.. TVA envisions “North America’s next great regional trail system” along the river, whose banks already include more than 700,000 acres of national parks, recreation areas, wildlife refuges, state and local parks.

In Alabama, the river flows across the top of the state from northeast to northwest with two large lakes along the way created by TVA dams. Three Alabama cities – Guntersville, Huntsville and Decatur – are profiled in TVA’s Phase 1 report on the region’s tourism prospects. Each city is getting a detailed analysis of its river situation and TVA’s help defining and reaching its local goals.

Participants of a workshop in Decatur said river access is already one of their city’s strengths along with recreational boating and supporting industries. But they see opportunities in establishing the city as a fishing destination, connecting its outdoor spaces and improving its existing marina. Decatur cited underused recreational space, poor causeway conditions and lack of amenities at Port Mallard park as weaknesses. Read the full Decatur discussion here.

Huntsville workshop participants said their city’s “organizational strengths” are their greatest asset but nearly half said tourism/river infrastructure is the greatest weakness. They called for a restaurant, more camping, kayak rentals and swimming access.

Brandi Quick, executive director of Huntsville Madison County Marina & Port Authority, cited “ways to improve access” as a benefit of the workshops and public meetings happening around the Riverline effort. Access to the river is a Huntsville challenge because that access is mainly focused on one place – the Ditto Landing marina. Much of the riverfront in Madison County otherwise belongs to Redstone Arsenal and is not easily accessible.

Ditto Landing is also 12 miles from downtown, which leaders “described (as) a mental block” for many residents who travel even instead to river communities such as Guntersville. New roads and overpasses make that journey much easier than many remember, Ditto Landing supporters say. Read the full Huntsville discussion here.

Guntersville with its wide river and large TVA lake is already a major destination and the water is seen by locals as “a driver of economic growth,” the TVA report said. Tourism is the city’s greatest economic strength and local leaders cited two success stories: the new mixed-use development City Harbor and Sunset Drive, a park-lined road that runs along the west side of the city peninsula known for one of the state’s best sunsets. But the city faces a serious challenge from invasive aquatic plants. Eelgrass is a relatively new arrival, and the report says TVA biologists have not found an answer to it yet.

Guntersville study participants overwhelmingly voted for more waterfront infrastructure as the city’s greatest need. Kayak launches were one recommendation. Read the full Guntersville discussion here.