Tim Marchbanks, avid fisherman and owner of The Bait Shop, said on Saturday, 12/6, that he opened that shop so he could have the best bait available for his own use.  Now he’s teamed up with another  Hartwell fisherman, Larry Browning, of K & L Electronics, and others, to help extend  boat ramps that are currently closed.  This effort is called the Lake Hartwell Ramp Project.

The group met with the Corps of Engineers to understand what needed to be done for the boat ramps, and have now agreed to what the Corps calls a Challenge cost-sharing agreement,   This agreement provides that  Corps personnel will actually perform the labor to extend the boat ramps, if Marchbanks and his group will provide the concrete.

Thomas Concrete has already agreed to provide the material at $84/yard, a considerably reduced price, and now the Lake Hartwell Ramp Project is looking for donations to purchase this concrete.

Lake Hartwell Association, on Saturday, presented Tim Marchbanks and the Lake Hartwell Ramp Project with a check for $2000 to help move the project along.  Herb Burnham, president-elect of the Lake Hartwell Association, who gave Tim the check, said, “It’s always nice to meet someone who sees a problem and takes the bull by the horns to create a solution.”

The Corps has said they would be able to get to three to five ramps this season.  Those ramps are, in order of priority, Broyles Landing, Big Oaks, Friendship Landing, Hatton’s Ford and then either Green Pond or River Fork.  Work is currently being done at Broyles Landing.

There have been other donations from businesses and individuals, but more is needed.  There is more information about this project at their website, including pictures of progress and who to contact to donate.  The website is http://www.klelectronix.com .