Water levels continue to lower at Lucky Peak

Water has started to lower at Lucky Peak Lake, bringing boating season to an early end.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are lowering Lucky Peak to repair the 70 year old Turner Gulch Boat Ramp.
• By August 1, water levels will be 15 feet lower. Officials urging boaters to pull their boat from the Spring Shores Marina.

( Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)

Each day the water is getting lower here at Lucky Peak. I’m your neighborhood reporter Jessica Davis and boating season is coming to an early end here at lucky peak due to some needed repairs.

"I'm willing to sacrifice a year if they get the boat ramps fixed,” says Byron Artrip.

Artrip fishes at Lucky Peak at least twice a week, but with boat ramps closing early, he'll see a shorter season this summer.

Artrip says, "As long as I have access to one of the ramps, I'll be fine, but I'm not sure how low it's going to go and if they close them all off that'll end my season fishing here."

At Marina Shores, Park Manager Surat Nicol says the water is dropping a foot and a half a day and gaining 12 feet of beach along with it.

"I'm not able to catch them where I was two weeks ago because it lowered,” says Artrip. “There's going to be a lot of boats with a smaller area to play on and there's going to be underwater obstacles that haven't been exposed so you need to be careful about sholes, rocks, things like that.”

By August 1, water levels will be 15 feet lower.

Officials are urging boaters to pull their boat from the Spring Shores Marina.

"I think it's sad because a lot of people paid for slips and they're going to have to pull their boat out a month early,” says Ann Peach.

Peach and her friend Jan, enjoy boating at Lucky Peak throughout the summer, but like Artrip, their season has been cut short.

"We have to pull our boats out 30 days EARLIER than we usually do and so instead of four months docking our boats up here it's only 3 months,” says Peach.

While many boaters are bracing for an early end to the season, Artrip says it'll be worth it.

"I'm not really upset, it's an inconvenience but for me I'll adapt, I'll just go to another lake somewhere,” says Artrip.

You still have time to come to Lucky Peak and hit the water. It won't be until the last week of August when you’ll really see a change. From the shore to the buoys, it’ll be just shore and beach and these boats won’t be here on the dock.