PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — This spring, the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks wasn’t certain how many of the public access boat ramps they’d be able to keep open around Lake Oahe this summer.
Then, GFP Planning and Development Administrator Adam Kulesa says the mountains upstream received a significant amount of snow very late in the season.
Kulesa says the US Army Corps of Engineers’ current projections for the Oahe Reservoir show the level being three to seven feet higher than the April forecast.
Kulesa says they made some boat ramp transitions last year.
He says GFP is monitoring the water level at Oahe so they can address transitions to low water ramps as the elevation changes.
Kulesa says there are a few areas they’re looking at.
Kulesa says if Oahe gets some additional elevation, they may be able to do something with the ramps at Peoria Flats, but probably not at Chantier (shanty) Creek.
GFP urges boaters to use extreme caution because underwater hazards are not marked. Anglers and boaters can visit, the Public Fishing Access Map to find boat ramp status.
(Jody Heemstra, DRG News, contributed this report.)
