Board of Public Works drops permit requirement

People need not carry that Board of Public Works permit along with that fishing pole to Lake Whelchel anymore.

The commissioners on Tuesday approved a recommendation to no longer require people to obtain a utility permit to fish at the BPW-owned lake. People must still possess a state license, general manager Donnie Hardin said.

"The reason we did this is that people who used the picnic facilities there wanted to go fishing," Hardin said. "Now, anybody can fish from the pier or off the bank."

People also must still obtain a permit from the Board to operate a boat at Lake Whelchel. That annual permit fee will be $25 for Cherokee County residents, $75 for non-county residents who live in the state and $100 for out-of-state residents, Hardin said.