I can’t think of better social distanceing than fishing!
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I can’t think of better social distanceing than fishing!
So far it’s just the Louisville District hopefully they just keep the shutdown to lakes in areas with virus
Updated press release says ramps won’t be closed just public use areas
[QUOTE=Fntsyfbgod;577232]Updated press release says ramps won’t be closed just public use areas[/QUOTE]
I'd call the COE in your district and ask !! I talked to the COE Green River Lake office & they have closed all ramps except the one at Holmes Bend Marina. It will remain open, but designated as "use at your own risk". There may be others at Green, or other COE lakes, that can't be closed or gated off ... and may be usable under that same "at your own risk" designation. I don't know, as I was only asking about the ramp at Holmes Bend Marina.
On Monday March 16 around noon COE from the Louisville District did release a statement that said any day use areas would be closed (boat ramps,picnic areas/playgrounds,campgrounds). Then about 2 hours later they revised the statement and removed boat ramps from the list. On another forum I frequently visit one of the members screenshot the original statement and the revised statement.
Click on the link I will provide and go to the very bottom. I know the writing is small but you can clearly read the first statement said boat ramps closed in the very last sentence at the bottom of the picture. Then look at the revision at the top of the picture that was posted two hours later and it clearly states boat ramps will remain open. [url]http://www.bbcboards.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=398886&d=1584403145[/url]
On Friday March 13 there was a statement released that said the visitors center at Green River Lake would be closed for 30 days. Here is a link from a local news source that gives that information. [url]http://www.columbiamagazine.com/index.php?sid=109488[/url] ...that link it says "day use" campground/boat ramps are not effect AT THIS TIME. Obviously things changed come monday. On Monday March 16 I drove by the visitors center at Green River Lake. The visitors center also happens to be the local office for the corps of engineers at Green River Lake. The parking lot was overflowing with vehicles. I thought it was strange because there was an announcement made a few days earlier that the office was closed. I kind of figured there was some type of meeting going on because I thought it was odd the parking lot was overflowing with vehicles on a monday, mid march with cool weather.
Not long after I got home someone called me and ask if I had heard about the boat ramps being closed. I went straight to the COE Louisville District site and sure enough it was in the news release. Then a couple hours later on another forum I visit someone posted a picture of the release where they removed boat ramps from the closure list. Here is the latest information I have... [url]https://www.lrl.usace.army.mil/Media/News-Releases/Article/2114461/updated-corps-to-close-day-use-recreational-areas-postpone-campground-openings/[/url]...In this link it does not say boat ramps are closed. Public gathering areas such as campgrounds, playgrounds, beaches, picnic shelters are closed until May 11, boat ramps are not closed as of now to the best of my knowledge.
It's going to be May by the time they get Green River Lake down enough to use them. 17' above summer pool and rain like crazy the next few days.
[QUOTE=llg;577248]It's going to be May by the time they get Green River Lake down enough to use them. 17' above summer pool and rain like crazy the next few days.[/QUOTE]
You can actually launch at Holmes Bend ramp at a water level of 680 (I think the turnaround should be dry), but yeah ... all this rain on top of a flooded lake is not a good sign for the near future.
[QUOTE=crappiepappy;577249]You can actually launch at Holmes Bend ramp at a water level of 680 (I think the turnaround should be dry), but yeah ... all this rain on top of a flooded lake is not a good sign for the near future.[/QUOTE]
If it ever comes to a point where you don't have a place to turn a boat around at Holmes Bend due to high water you had better head to Williamstown and get loaded onto the replica they have of Noah's arch. If water is over the second parking lot like it is right now you can turn around in the third parking lot. In the rare event it gets into the third parking lot you can turn around at the restroom. If it reaches the restroom you can turn around at the new lodge they built but I will say if it ever reaches that level we have problems bigger than high water. I guess my point is there is a ton of places to turn around at Holmes Bend.
You can unload from the road at any water level but there is a point where the slope in the road is not that great. This will require you to have two people to unload because you have to back the vehicle down into the water far enough to get the front tires wet. If you do this and your buy yourself you get your feet wet.
Summer pool is 675. Around 680 or so it's in the small flat area at the top of the ramp. Once it gets around 682-3 its gets up onto the road where the slope gets better. What I am trying to say is it's actually easier to launch at 10 ft or more over summer pool than 5 ft over due to the slope in the road. Due to slope in the road having different angles there is levels where you need to have two people or your getting your feet wet if your by yourself but I have never seen where two people could not unload at Holmes Bend. One person yes it's difficult, two people can always unload at any water level.
On a side note as I type this the lake is right at 694. If my memory is correct (and I am going off memory I have not visually confirmed this) around 693-695 is the level where Lone Valley becomes unusable because its up onto the flat area. Same thing with Butler creek/Mt. Carmel. At the 693-695 level it gets over the parking lot and into the flat area. Again I have no visual on this. I am going off memory of past history because those are the ramps I use at high water because you can unload buy yourself without getting your feet wet and I fish solo 95% of the time. Now regarding Lone Valley at high water it is another one of those ramps that once it gets a little high it gets difficult but once it gets higher it gets easier to unload but it will reach a point where it gets too high and as I said I "think" it's getting close to that point right now.
Sometime today I plan on getting out. I live in the Holmes Bend community. I will swing by Holmes Bend and Mt. Carmel/Butler creek and see what they look like.
the Huntington district for eastern Kentucky has the boat ramps open, and no corps fees for launching ,per the corps web site
Green River Lake ramps...I drove to Campbellsville today so I went buy three different ramps and looked at the water level. What I posted earlier is correct. Around 695 Lone Valley and Butler Creek/Mt. Carmel become unusable due to high water. The level I saw today (Friday 3/19) around noon was 694. Both ramps still look usable BUT there was not much slope left. With the water rising like it has in the last 24 hours I don't see either one of those ramp being usable due to high water this weekend.
Thursday at noon you could turn around at Lone Valley in the parking lot near the restrooms. I do know that back in January or February when water got higher than what it is right now they put up a barricade so you could not turn right off the main road. There was no barricade in place Thursday but as a pure guess I could see them putting one up soon due to high water. Actually I am surprised they don't have one up anyway because per: COE press release boat ramps are open but any campground, restroom, picnic shelter, play ground, beach or public day use area is closed. All of those are just a few yards away from the ramp that is open. If they do close the ramp it is due to high water because the press release says boat ramps will remain open.
I also drove by Holmes Bend and as I said earlier it's usable but you had better have two people because if your solo your getting your feet wet. Water at all three locations look like a chocolate milkshake. I was at Lake Cumberland Monday 3/9 and it was in decent shape color wise on the lower end. As far as the Cumberland water level it's right at summer pool so it looks like Cumberland for me this weekend...and probably the next several days.
I talked to them yesterday & they said all of their ramps would remain open with no launch fees until May i think it was.