Corps Developing Boat Ramp Plans

The Army Corps of Engineers is getting almost one million dollars to deal with access problems along Lake Sakakawea in North Dakota this year The money was included in legislation recently passed in Congress Phil Brown the manager at the Corps Riverdale office says the money will be used to assure the best-possible access for boaters on the big lake He expects about 70 of the ramps around the lake to be open this year - pretty much the same as last year But he says getting them open and keeping them operating is a task that the Corps gets help in carrying out The North Dakota Game and Fish Department State Parks system Friends of Sakakawea and concessionaires around the lake all pitch in to help out Brown says planning to deal with the low water goes on all the time Phil Brown Corps of Engineers We are always thinking about it visiting with our concessionaires out there throughout the year We plan for the worst and hope for the best both from a funding standpoint and also reservoir elevations We do our best to be prepared each summer and I think we ve done an outstanding job in cooperation with our partners out there in getting access every summer month Brown says most of the high-profile access areas will again have reliable boat access this year Boat ramps will be a topic of discussion tomorrow at the KX Sports Show An open forum is being held starting at 11 30 discussing lake levels on Sakakawea