Of the 21 lake parks on Stillhouse Hollow Lake and Lake Belton, 18 are open for normal use, said Dan Thomasson, lake manager with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Westcliff, Dana Peak and Union Grove parks are still closed, damaged in last year’s flooding.
“This typically is our third busiest weekend of the year,” Thomasson said, with Memorial Day and Fourth of July being more crowded. “By the time we get to Labor Day, kids are back in school, football season is starting. It will be busy, but probably not our busiest.”
The parks expect all their campgrounds to be full, which is typical for summer weekends, he said.
During the Fourth of July, some day visitors headed to Temple Lake Park were turned away because the park was so crowded, a decision based on the number of vehicles more so than the number of people, he said.
“When all the parking is filled up, including the auxiliary parking on the sides of the roads, and emergency vehicles can’t get through, we close it temporarily,” he said.
Mother Neff State Park near Moody is open for day use from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers hiking, fishing and picnicking. Camping is not currently allowed at the park, which is still recovering from last year’s flooding.
“Even though our historic structures and campsites are still waiting for repair, people can come out and have a good time,” said Don Ickles, park ranger at the state park. “Our picnic tables are cleaned, hiking trails are open and we do have operating water fountains, portable toilets and a wood tabernacle available.”
Thomasson recommended those headed to the lakes this weekend be aware of the heat and drink plenty of fluids - heat exhaustion or heat stroke are still a concern. Also, watch the weather. There’s a chance of rain and thunderstorms this weekend, according to forecasts.
“Keep an eye on that. When you’re out on the water, that can be an issue,” he said of a sudden storm. “You don’t have any shelter. A lot of folks aren’t thinking about that.”
Also, alcohol is always an issue, he said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife will be patrolling the lakes this holiday weekend looking for typical violations to make certain boaters have all of the safety equipment required by the state to legally operate boats on lakes.
They also will be looking for intoxicated boaters who choose to operate their equipment illegally.
“Make sure to have all the required safety equipment before leaving to your destination and be sure not to consume too much alcohol or none at all before getting on the lake,” Capt. Fred Churchill of U.S. Fish and Wildlife said.
Churchill said officers will be looking for signs of intoxicated boaters.
“You can’t really look for things like swerving on the lake because boats aren’t the same as cars. If during a random inspection of a boat the driver shows signs of being intoxicated, we’ll check their level of sobriety,” he said.
Staff photographer Scott Gaulin contributed to this report.
splatt@temple-telegram.com
tleytham@temple-telegram.com
