Congressman Andrew Clyde announced on May 13 that Hall County Parks & Leisure will take over management of 11 additional recreation sites along Lake Lanier through a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. This change follows legislation championed by Clyde, which was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations package.
The move is significant for local residents and visitors, as it aims to keep popular parks open and maintained after previous closures due to staffing shortages. The legislation allows local partners managing multiple recreation sites at a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works project to use collected user fees across all their managed sites, rather than restricting funds to where they were collected.
“I’m thrilled to see my successful legislative effort in action for the Ninth District,” said Andrew Clyde. “Last year, I offered a simple yet effective solution to help keep Lake Lanier parks open for residents and visitors alike. Due to my hard-fought efforts, this measure was signed into law by President Trump through the appropriations process — delivering a critical win for our beloved Lake Lanier and surrounding communities. I applaud Hall County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ partnership, and I look forward to these additional recreation sites remaining open, safe, and well-maintained for years to come.”
Clyde’s measure mirrors his Lanier Parks Local Access Act introduced last year after the USACE Mobile District temporarily closed several sites ahead of Memorial Day Weekend due to staffing issues. Less than one year later, Hall County has utilized this new authority granted by federal law to manage seven previously closed locations among others.
Andrew Clyde is currently serving in the U.S. Congress representing Georgia’s 9th district since replacing Doug Collins in 2021 according to Ballotpedia. In recent elections, he has consistently won large majorities against his opponents according to Ballotpedia.
