Corps and State Ready to Work on Boat Ramps

Our sudden spring weather probably made many anglers start thinking about the fishing season But the new fishing season on Lake Sakakawea have been at the top of the agenda for some people for months already As Jim Olson reports the Corps of Engineers Game and Fish Department and others have been getting ready for spring for months Phil Brown Corps of Engineers There s quite a bit of effort that goes into it A lot of committed individuals just besides the Corps to assure there s access Jim Olson KX News Phil Brown is optimistic about lake access this year on Sakakawea Phil Brown Corps of Engineers Probably still looking at anywhere from 21 to 25 of the 35 recreation areas accessible which is real similar to last year and the year before Jim Olson KX News But even with his optimism Brown admits there is work to be done to reach that goal In the next few weeks crews from the Corps of Engineers and North Dakota Game and Fish Department will be doing what they ve had to do in many of the past springs - put in many hours of work to make the ramps usable at ever-lower levels Phil Brown Corps of Engineers Over the next month or so you ll start hearing or seeing a lot of work out there to make the areas accessible Jim Olson KX News Brown says the work that starts soon is the result of months of planning and cooperation among many groups Phil Brown Corps of Engineers Not only the Corps and Game amp amp Fish but we ve brought in a representative from Friends of Lake Sakakawea to kind of help us The planning has been going on through the winter of course planning is still playing out Jim Olson KX News While he s optimistic that the lake level will be a bit higher than earlier Corps forecasts he allows that if the water follows more pessimistic projections some places will lost their access Phil Brown Corps of Engineers Potentially there could be one or two areas where we re just out of options Jim Olson KX News But he likes the trends of the past month when the lake has risen about a foot-and-a-half from projections made only a few weeks ago Phil Brown Corps of Engineers Everybody wants the same thing and that is to ensure the lake is accessible as it can be and everybody is working together the best we can to balance all the rules and policies to get there In Riverdale Jim Olson KX News The Corps is authorized to spend 250-thousand dollars on its ramps this spring The Game and Fish Department has requested 800-thousand dollars from the state legislature to spend on ramp work this year - but the bill has not been voted on yet You can find out about lace access by going online to kxnet com boatramps