Tygart Lake Marina To Close July 15

WBOY TV
10 July 2012
By Kelsey Pape, Marion and Taylor County Reporter

TAYLOR COUNTY - The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources said the Tygart Lake Marina will be closing July 15 due to low water levels.

Park officials said water elevation is nearly 14 feet below where it should be. Park Resource Manager, Mike Estock, said this is the worst drought conditions they have had since 1988.

"The lake is going down approximately a half a foot every day and right now we are down about 12 and a half feet," he said. "By the weekend we will be down another three feet."

Estock doesn't think the water levels will get better any time soon because of no significant rainfall in the near future.

One ramp at Tygart Lake Marina is out of service, and another will be closing soon.

"They're asking everybody at the Marina that has a dock to have their boats out of the water by the close of business on Sunday," Estock said.

The West Virginia DNR said access to the lake will only be available at Pleasant Creek. Estock said rangers will be concentrating on general water safety this upcoming weekend. They want to make sure people aren't jumping off of the rocks.

"As the water keeps going down, the height of the cliffs is going to increase," Estock said. "There's always a potential for a serious injury when people are diving and jumping into the water."

Park officials said that the cliffs should be covered with two to three feet of water. If the drought continues, the marina will remain closed until next year.