Las Vegas, NV (KXNT) – Low water levels at Lake Mead have forced park officials to close the Echo Bay launch ramp.
The closure of the ramp will begin on Wednesday. Currently there is no estimated reopening day for the ramp, and the National Park Service is considering where to relocate it.
The ramp, which has been extended in the past, was constructed to launch boats at a lake level of 1,060 feet but the lake is currently at 1,053 feet elevation and continuing to decline.
The drought conditions have also impacted other launches. Boats can no longer be launched from Callville Bay, Boulder Harbor, Temple Bar and South Cove due to low water levels.
Boaters can still get onto Lake Mead from Hemenway Harbor as well as access points on Lake Mohave, but park service officials say there will be longer-than-average wait time to launch, especially on weekends, since the number of places used to launch boats have declined.