Hemenway Harbor is the only boat launch ramp for Lake Mead left open this weekend (Photo: Andrew Cattoir, NPS, http://www.nps.gov)

Lake Mead NP, NV-

The Lake Mead National Recreational Area has issued a media statement regarding the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The statements issued include warnings and reminders of current situations at the National Recreational Area.

The first warning is about the only current open boat launch ramp at Hemenway Harbor, nearby Boulder City. The Harbor will have two lanes on pipe mat with only one boat launch ramp, so they ask for patience and for boaters to not “diddle-daddle” while launching their boats, but to make sure not to take too much time. NPS staff and rangers will be on hand to make sure things go more smoothly.

The second warning concerns the receding water and exposing shoreline, causing a muddy area where vehicles can get stuck easily. In a tweet last week, the National Park Service stated, “Newly exposed shoreline is dense and difficult to navigate. As a result, vehicles, vessels, and people can get stuck.”

The third warning is the more heavy law enforcement presence that will be prevalent within the National Recreation Area. This includes a “saturation patrol” on Sunday. The tweet read, ” Drive sober or get pulled over! On Sunday, May 29, there will be a saturation patrol at Lake Mead NRA to help reduce and prevent drunk driving incidents to keep park roadways safe this Holiday Weekend.”

The tweet came with a reminder that it is illegal to have a 0.08 BAC Level or higher when operating a vehicle.

Recently experts released another study that the lake will probably drop another 12 feet by this Fall. As such, more and more items will be revealed, the NPS reminds people not to take these “treasures” but to report them to the National Recreational Services as they may be items concerning crimes, historical relics, or similar items and must be handled by proper authorities.

The access point on Lake Mohave is still open for those who are looking for another way to enter Lake Mead without waiting in the lines for Hemenway Harbor. Boaters are advised to check ramp statuses before traveling out and expect longer waits for the currently open boat launch ramps, especially during weekends.

For current water levels and statuses check out the BOR (Bureau of Reclamation) data and statistics found on the National Parks site located at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).

Currently, only Echo Bay and Hemenway Harbor remain for boat launch ramps open with restrictions out of six ramps on Lake Mead. All boat ramps on Lake Mohave are open with restrictions which allows access to Lake Mead.