NASHVILLE, Tenn.- Tennessee Senate Bill 2402 (House Bill 2149) and the Governor’s FY2022-2023 budget allocated $11 million to transfer ownership of the Carroll County 1000 Acre Recreation Lake from the Carroll County Watershed Authority into Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency management. 

The Tennessee State Legislature also enacted a name change from 1000 Acre Lake to Lake Halford, after Tennessee State Representative Curtis Halford. TWRA is partnering with the Carroll County Watershed Authority and local leaders on the transition and held a public listening session on May 24th. 

“The agency plans to maintain the current recreational activities while stakeholder input is considered, after which we will move forward with a public regulatory process with the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission,” said TWRA Fisheries Chief Frank Fiss. 

“The dream was to see the lake grow and be managed as an asset to Carroll County. We are excited that TWRA is coming on board with the resources to run and manage the lake to take it to the next level,” said Carroll County Chamber of Commerce President Brad Hurley 

The lake was also named a Bill Dance Signature Lake, a program to make Tennessee a best-in-class destination for anglers worldwide. As part of the program, the lake will see infrastructure investments above and below water to enhance the quality of fishing and visitor experience. Opened in 2013, it is the largest man-made lake in West Tennessee with more than 22 miles of shoreline.