Friday, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board will vote whether or not to demolish the Stephen C. Foster State Park Suwannee River Visitor Center in Fargo, according to a post on the WWALS Watershed Coalition is Suwannee Riverkeeper Facebook page. The post was made by Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman.
The visitor center is the big building on stilts above the Fargo boat ramp. Fargo is the second public paddling stop downstream from the Okefenokee Swamp, and the last stop in Georgia before 19 Suwannee River miles to Roline Ramp in Florida.
The Suwannee River Visitor Center was opened in 2004 after a $2 million investment. This was before the Eco-Lodge, inland up US 441.Unfortunately, it didn’t get many visitors, maybe five or six a week, not counting local fishermen who came in to use the bathroom. It closed in 2011, due to budgeting concerns. Attempts to get an outfitter to run it, or to move Fargo City Hall into it, did not work.
A year or so ago there was a rumor that private deep pockets had been found to fix it up. But the bats and guano in the building apparently would cost too much to fix. So this Friday the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board will vote to demolish the Suwannee River Visitors Center.
