The boat ramp at the Bear Creek Reservoir will likely be closed until mid-winter or later, thanks to the ongoing drought.
But there is a movement afoot to lengthen the ramp so that next time the lake level drops the ramp will still be serviceable.
The Upper Oconee Basin Water Authority, which owns and manages the 505-acre drinking water reservoir, agreed last week to have its Recreation Committee consider the prospect.
Right now, only people who have property abutting the lake can launch boats — and only from their property. Elton Collins of Commerce and Chris Thomas of Oconee County, who chairs the group’s Operations Committee, brought up the idea of extending the boat ramp last Wednesday after Jackson County recreation director Ricky Sanders gave a report on usage at the lake.
According to Sanders, the authority sold 163 annual passes and about 2,600 daily passes to boaters, producing $17,000 in revenue.
“September would have been over $2,000 and October would have been better than that,” Sanders predicted.
The department closed the boat ramp on Aug. 27 after several boat trailers got stuck due to the low water level. The lake was just five feet below full pool at the time.
Collins asked if it was time to extend the ramp.
“That’s what I was going to ask,” Thomas stated.
“If you are going to do it, now would be the time to do it,” Sanders replied. “If you want to keep it open all the time, that would be something to look at.”
“How far would you extend it?” Collins asked.
Athens-Clarke’s Bobby Snipes said the length of the ramp would depend upon the slope, but that the ramp will require three horizontal feet to accomplish each foot of vertical drop.
“We are probably going to have this (seasonal drought) most of the time,” Collins responded. “We probably ought to look at extending it because this is going to be a continuing problem.”
“I wasn’t suggesting we extend it,” Thomas clarified, “but was saying that if we want to extend it, now would be the time.”
“I think we ought to extend it,” Collins said.
Sanders said he did not anticipate reopening the boat ramp this year.
If the drought continues as is widely expected, officials believe that the lake level will continue to fall into January, but winter and spring rains will replenish it by next summer.
