Boat ramps reopen at Shasta Lake due to rise in lake levels
SHASTA LAKE, Calif. — With Lake Shasta levels raised due to the increased rainfall we've seen in the Northstate in past weeks, boat ramps reopened over the weekend.
The President of Shasta Marina at Packers Bay, John Harkrader, said he can almost guarantee we will have a full lake this year.
"It means we get the boat launch back; it means that the water levels coming up, which, with the snow pack we have up above and the flow of the water coming in, in 27 years of experience, here, I can pretty much guarantee we are going to have a full lake this year," Harkrader told KRCR on Monday.
Boat owners at the marina, like Jimmy Johnson from Medford, Ore., described it as a second new year's celebration for them.
"Seeing the water rise and the boat ramp open is kind of like almost a new year's party again for the beginning of summer," Johnson said.
Harkrader is excited to see people be so excited about the ramp reopening.
"There's a lot of people excited about the lake being up, which excites me, 'cause that's why we are here to take care of people and make sure they have a great vacation," Harkrader said.
The marina is currently out in the middle of the lake and they have to shuttle people back and forth from the ramp to the marina.
However, they won’t have to wait long for it to be closer to shore.
"We have roads that come out here, at 120 feet. And, right now, we are at 84 feet from the top, right now, and the boat launch ends at 120 and it’s back in use as of this last weekend. And, we're preparing to move the marina back in tomorrow and we're happy about that."
Johnson said it was nice to see the water levels rise because the dry season was a bit scary.
"Watching the water; the drought affect the lake so much has been kind of scary because it's pretty unpredictable. And so, everybody has done a great job to adapt and overcome the drought. And, now that we have water coming in, it's really exciting seeing all the movement around the marina as well as the boat ramp," Johnson told KRCR.
Finally, Johnson is just excited for summer on the lake, “It just brings a whole new excitement for summer."
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