RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – The Reservoir is not only a great place to go boating or fishing, but it’s also a great place to live.
The Rez is a 33,000-acre lake designed to hold water that flows down the Pearl River. There are different neighborhoods nestled along the reservoir.
“If you can look around, it is a phenomenal asset to this area and to the state of Mississippi and to the south,” said Kenny Windham, president of the Board for the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District (PRVWSD).
People who live along the Rez said they love it.
“It’s wonderful. I get up and see some very beautiful God-given sunrises, occasional good sunset, even though that’s on the other side of the reservoir. But yeah, being close to the water, it’s really indescribable,” said Buddy Voelkel, who lives on the Rez.
If you’re someone who likes to go out on a boat on the Rez, you’re probably aware of Smith Marine and the Main Harbor Store.
Smith Marine is a 35-year-old family-owned and operated boat dealership and repair center. The Main Harbor Store has all you need for boating and fishing on the Rez, including pontoons, double decker boats and more.
Buddy Smith owns both locations and said they have everything you need before safely heading out onto the water.
“We do sales and service. We sell new boats. We find used boats, but we got mainly our boats as pontoons. We service just about everything. So, we’re one of the biggest ones that handle multiple boats instead of one brand. We’ve been in business since 1985. We’re one of the oldest business still around. We try to make sure everybody’s boat is done happy and ready to get on water,” said Smith.
In the same building as the Main Harbor Store, you will be able to find Pelican Cove Grill. It’s been a hot sport on the Rez for many years, especially during the summer.
“You can see, it just comes to life at night. We have live entertainment seven nights a week, also on Saturday and Sunday for the lunchtime hour. So, it’s just a huge party here at night. We have lots of boats and just filled with people. Beginning Wednesday through Friday, our chef will be running a different dinner special each night, soo we’re looking forward to that,” said Melissa Allen, the front of house manager for the restaurant.
The Rez is also a unique area. One of the most unique places near the Rez is the Waller Craft Center in Ridgeland.
The gallery is full of one-of-a-kind pieces of art made of metal, pottery, glass, fiber and wood.
“Anything you buy in the gallery is a one-of-a-kind piece. You’re never going to get the same thing twice,” said Betsy Ross, executive director of the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi.
The center is home the Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi.
“The Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi is 50 years old. This past year, we have been in this building for 17 years. We are home to over 280 craftsmen. The majority of our craftsmen are from Mississippi, but we host craftsmen from 17 other states, and we’re happy to have them as members,” explained Ross.
Those craftsmen also host classes throughout the year at the center. It’s also used to host weddings and other events.
There’s still more to come this year.
“We’re so excited for 2024 and all the events we have coming up. So, Chimneyville in December is going to be fantastic. We’ve got so many things to look forward to, and we just hope that people come out and see us,” said Ross.
To learn more about the events and classes at the center, click here.