Mitchell Martin stands in front of a railroad turn bridge at the dead end of Old Twin Lake Road, where he and others would like to see a boat launch ramp built for public use. Martin is circulating a petition to gain support. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[04/09/01] The Yazoo River from Redwood nearly to Yazoo City is a largely untapped outdoor resource and Mitchell Martin wants Warren County to do something about it.

Martin, a Redwood resident and outdoorsman, contends a boat launch ramp at Redwood would help open the river to outdoorsmen.

To get to the Yazoo now, boaters must launch at Vicksburg’s City Front or at Yazoo City.

Doss Shropshire, a Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks conservation officer, is one of the people Martin enlisted in an effort to circulate a petition seeking signatures of outdoorsmen who support the idea asking the Warren County Board of Supervisors to construct a launch ramp on land owned by the county at the end of Old Twin Lake Road. The road parallels the Yazoo River just north of the Redwood bridge. The county-owned land is the result of a federal buyout program to reduce damage to buildings in flood-prone areas.

“I’ve never been from City Front to Redwood, but (Shropshire) said it is about an hour and 15 minutes at three-quarters throttle and it’s about another hour and 15 minutes to Yazoo City,” Martin said.

“It would be good for law enforcement if something happened on the river and it would open up the whole area. It is virgin territory for most sportsmen,” Martin said.

Since the county already owns two lots at the end of Old Twin Lake Road, there would not be a whole lot of cost, he said, adding there is money available from state and federal sources for such uses.

Warren County has built landings at Eagle Lake and LeTourneau with grant funds.

Copies of the petition have been distributed to a number of local businesses including Parts Exchange, Auto Plaza, 61 Quick Stop, Hadad’s Outdoor World, Eagle Shore Cafe, the Redwood store, Farm To Market, Rebel Archery, Country Junction, the sporting goods department of Wal-Mart SuperCenter, Vicksburg Alternator and Starter and the Klondyke.

“I expect nothing out of this except access,” Martin said. “I expect the public to use it.”

He also said there are a couple of large pecan trees on the site.

“If they put up a couple of picnic tables, who knows?” he said.