LAS VEGAS (KLAS)– More than 300 people gathered at a meeting in Boulder City to hear about the Lake Mead Sustainable Low Water Access Plan, but those who spoke with 8 News Now said they left with more questions than answers.
The National Park Service (NPS) initiated a plan to address the low water levels at Lake Mead by introducing management concepts impacting boat launch ramps.
Officials can choose to close the marinas and concessions, cut out utilities and move marinas elsewhere, or leave the marinas operating as is.
Vicki Arnold of Boulder City said this move would significantly cut down recreation time and alter the community’s lifestyle.
“You’re out there in the land and the water and the sky and it’s just an awesome time and place to be,” said Arnold. “So there’s fear here of taking our national recreation area away from the people of the nation.”
Margot Allaire has had her boat docked on Lake Mead since 2005. She said the public forum remains vague.
“Let’s address the real issue which is the loss of water and let’s figure out better ways to conserve better than something like this,” said Allaire. ” I agree with Vicki. I think the agenda has already been decided and this is just an attempt to get people to supposedly a forum to express their views, I don’t think it’ll make a difference.”
Blue Ribbon Coalition executive director Ben Burr works to protect recreational access to public lands and water.
“Recreation creates huge economic value to this area and hopefully their getting a clear signal that concept one is the alternative they should choose and find ways to adapt and make sure this infrastructure to access the lakes stays operational,” Burr said.
The nonprofit also has a plan in place, he hopes the community will consider it.
“Our plan does acknowledge the fact that it’s going to take at least five years to stabilize the system and get it back on a sustainable path but that’s going to require that the Bureau of Reclamation and the agencies managing the water use in the west start to look at this as we have to adapt to the water coming in, adjust the water coming out based on what we have instead of this liquidation model where they release everything they have to every year which has put us in a situation where it is an emergency now,” Burr said. ” Our plan gives them a path of how to do that. We hope the public will look at that and support our plan or at least a variation of it.”
Chris Marsack has been boating on Lake Mead since the 70s. While he’s all for water conservation, he’s unsure if this plan will do just that.
“It’s hard to understand. Their questions I don’t feel are really good,” explained Marsack. “Concepts one, two, and three they may alter pieces of that around, so it definitely seems to be a work in progress.”
NPS is encouraging people to submit written comments online. It will be available through Dec. 23. To submit your comments, click here.
