ADDITIONAL OPERATIONAL CHANGES FOR LAKE SOMERVILLE PARKS

  

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials have announced additional park operational changes beginning this fall at Rocky Creek Park and Yegua Creek Park at Lake Somerville.

Starting October 1st, the gatehouse will be operated by a volunteer park host, and the operational hours of the gatehouse will be reduced.  Automatic entrance gates will be used when volunteers are not present.

All remaining credit card sales at the gatehouse will cease, including the collection of all boat ramp fees for day users and the selling of Corps Annual Day Use Passes and America the Beautiful Passes.

A free public boat ramp will be made available outside the gatehouse entrance to Yegua Creek Park.

At this time, the Corps Annual Day Use Passes and America the Beautiful Passes will be sold at gatehouses until October 1st.  Those passes will be honored until that date, at which time users wishing to utilize them for day use boat launching will no longer be able to launch within the campgrounds.  However, they may launch at the free public boat ramp located outside the Yegua Creek Park entrance.

These announcements come after the USACE moved to camp use only for the two parks and not day use, beginning this past Monday.

Lake Manager Russell Meier explained that these changes were made by the USACE in a gradual effort to make the parks more sustainable and move them into a more automated system.  With the change to volunteers, Meier said money from gated tenant contracts can now be used to improve park amenities.  He said volunteers will mainly be checking users in and out without handling funds, adding that the volunteer system may shift into an automated one in the future.

Meier also said these changes should better separate campground and day users and move them in different directions, hopefully alleviating some frustration from campground users while still providing a form of day use boat access.

Questions regarding information on park operational changes can be directed to the Somerville Lake Office at 979-596-1622.

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16 Comments

  1. Where is Cruz, Cornyn, McCaul, Abbot, Patrick, Kolkhorst, and Leman?

    Answer: AT YOUR OWN FINGERTIPS.
    Google their contact websites and phone numbers.
    Voice your opinion.
    PROVIDE THEM WITH A SOLUTION.
    They will not act unless y’all speak up.
    Make the time.
    Just do it.
    I have.
    Go!

    1. And then watch your mailbox fill up with campaign donation requests.
      I’ve emailed McCaul and all I’ve got to show for it is donation requests.

  2. Dear Residents,

    Please see this for what it is. REVENGE.

    This is payback for them not being able to drill out at the lake.

    Now, all of us peasants have to be taught a lesson.

    See how the game works?

    We have ALL been sold out.

    Agenda 21.

    You’re welcome!

    God bless Rush Limbaugh!

    1. Trash Can Man,
      Who is the “them” that is nit allowed to drill out at the lake?

      The effort to prohibit drilling failed last year.
      There are rigs at Pecan Lake and Iron Bridge.
      Are you suggesting something else?

  3. Write or call Ted Cruz and tell him we can’t all afford to go to Cancun to enjoy the water, we would like to go to or near by lake , which we helped pay for and that we can’t visit on a daily basis.

  4. Stinks on ice and REEKS of ELITISM!! Citizens living right BY these parks are now granted only distant glimpses of the Lake from their porches, or as they drive by on their way to & from work??! NO actual access to the Lake right in their own backyards from parks that have been open for day use since the 1970s?? Rehburg, Long Point, and Burton citizens have long used and enjoyed these parks for picnics, hiking, fishing, canoeing. Many people may have purchased property partially for the easy access to the Lake and these parks.
    Now big city escapees in their gigantic $$$ RVs are granted access that LOCAL citizens are denied?? I was told directly by a surly attendant at Rocky that they are always booked now with RVs and trailers from Houston- that the parks have been “discovered”.
    SENATOR KOLKHORST- PLEASE can you help US????

  5. Well, that is a good start. At least we can we will be able to launch in Washington County without a pre-booked camp site.
    What we need is a day use area at both parks for the public to use. This is Washington County Texas. The birthplace of Texas. The locals should at least have access to use the lake daily without any hassle. There is plenty of land, shoreline, and money that the Army Core could use and develop for day use. There are still entire sections of both parks that are not being used, and have not been available since the flood of 2009. Can we have our representatives, city, county, and state help us petition the Army Core and get something more done?

    1. I think y’all Washington County residents should petition the corps for access to build community boat ramps like we have over in burleson county there is 2 public ramps one in the back of Birch creek forest subdivision and at apache hills

      1. Thanks for telling the whole world about the boat ramp in my subdivision. I can hardly launch there now because of all the outside people. And some wingnut decided we need railings down into the water. Now no one can pull a boat up on the bank to wait until other boaters get their boat s in or out. And the wingnut moved out of the subdivision. Good riddance to him.

  6. Why do we have to have these parks for campers only? Our Government can spend millions on sex change studies overseas but can’t can maintain a few parks? Looks we have two parties one scam in Washington. This is why we need term limits cause you get a bunch of lazy Government fat cats drawing a pay check without doing much work. Tired of the lies and laziness.

    1. The objective is to keep the great unwashed public from the rich “campers “ in their 40 foot motor homes.
      Get used to it. The USA is becoming a fading memory.

    2. The ramp they again and again and again opening is unprotected from winds, No place close to park a boat after/before launching. I was at Yequa Thursday and only about 6-8 campers with no boats. The ramp had 3 trailers when I left from day users. The ramp they will open will not be safe for older people. Glad campers use the park but the USACE spends unbelievable amounts of taxpayer dollars to repair flood damage annually to campsites in low flood elevation. They should at least leave the protected ramp open to Golden Age Passport users. Older people are very limited to their activities and will be put in harms way being forced to use the unprotected ramp. Age discrimination. Time for an investigative reporter to get both sides, pros and con. Please continue to contact your Congressman/Senator. and news medias.

    3. Steve,
      Stop complaining and start contacting your county, state, and federal officials.
      Google: Who represents me

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