Benefits of renovated boat ramp reach beyond Wakulla River

Aug 18, 2023

PANACEA, Fla. (WTXL) — Panacea is a community fishermen come to often. Now, there's a new way for them to get on the water in Wakulla County.

"With the Wakulla river boat ramps opening up it benefits us big time because they are gonna come," Taylor said. Billy Taylor is the sales rep for Crums mini mart. He grew up here in Panacea.

"With the Wakulla river boat ramps opening up it benefits us big time because they are gonna come," Taylor explained.

The lower bridge boat ramp just had their re-opening ceremony Thursday. That ramp is next to the Highway 98 Bridge crossing the Wakulla River.

Though it's a 19 minute drive from Crum's, Taylor says investments in projects like this can help drive business across the county. An idea County commissioner Mike Kemp agrees with.

"It will bring more people down here to our county that's gonna spend money here," Kemp said.

Money that reaches beyond this water. Kemp tells me this upgraded ramp goes into deeper water. That allows for bigger boats and those bigger boats could mean bigger business.

"That's gonna use our restaurants that's gonna use our grocery stores and all that," Kemp explained.

Stores like Crum's that depend on visitors making the drive to the area.

"When fishermen come they come with boats they come with vehicles they come to rent homes and come to by homes it does help all aspects of the county," Taylor said.

While county leaders tell me the project is good for the area overall, a nearby kayaking business that we spoke with off camera told me they have concerns about launching kayaks next to increased motorboat traffic.

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