A $1.5 million construction project will begin at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in late July to extend launch ramps at Lake Mead.
With a current lake elevation of 1,075 feet, the concrete at five of the lake’s six launch ramps ends prior to the water. The ramps are still open, but boaters have to travel across gravel before reaching temporary pipe mat. Four-wheel drive is recommended because of this gap.
Contractors will add concrete to ramps at Echo Bay, Callville Bay, Hemenway Harbor, Temple Bar and South Cove, so that these ramps reach the water, at its current elevation.
At Boulder Harbor, the channel exiting the harbor will be excavated, making it deeper and more accessible for larger boats. No extensions are needed to the Boulder Harbor launch ramp because it has been paved to an elevation of about 1,060 feet.
Construction should begin in late July and should be completed by the end of September. During construction, at least one lane at each ramp will remain open for public access to the lake.
Funding for the project was provided by fees collected at entrance stations and the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act. The contractors are Catworks Construction from Battle Ground, Washington, and DH Ortega Construction from Show Low, Arizona.
source: National Park Service