CORPS CONCLUDES CARRYING CAPACITY STUDY AT BEAVER LAKE

Published March 2, 2017
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ROGERS, Ark. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers conducted a recreational carrying capacity study on Beaver Lake which began on the July 4 holiday weekend and continued through Labor Day weekend 2016.

 Contractors hired by the Corps conducted boat counts at launch ramps, campgrounds, marinas, and resorts, as well as by helicopter.

 In addition, survey questionnaire request cards were placed on vehicles during the boat counts at launch ramps to collect contact information. Survey questions were mailed out to a random sampling of users of Beaver Lake as well as those individuals that responded to the request forms for data collection during the study.  Information from these surveys and from boat counts are documented in the carrying capacity study. 

Data collected throughout the study period provided objective information for determining future management strategies that effect the density of boats on Beaver Lake. 

The study is a part of the Beaver Lake Master Plan Revision and Shoreline Management Plan update process. The Corps will use the comments received during the scoping workshops along with the results of the carrying capacity study to assist in developing draft revisions to the Beaver Lake Master Plan and Shoreline Management Plan. 

 

 



An Environmental Assessment is being completed as the environmental compliance documentation for both revision processes. 

A copy of the final Recreational Carrying Capacity Study for Beaver Lake is located at the following website: https://go.usa.gov/xX3Qq

The Corps hosted scoping workshops in March 2016 for the Beaver Lake Master Plan and Shoreline Management Plan to share information about the revision process and collect agency and public comments concerning land use management and shoreline use around Beaver Lake.

The master plan scoping workshop was originally held in early 2015.  After receiving public comments and applying those suggestions to the proposed master plan, the Corps recognized that revising both the master plan and the shoreline management plan concurrently would be more effective in creating consistency between the two plans.  As a result, the Corps conducted another scoping workshop in March 2016 in an attempt to receive additional feedback on both plans.  

 It is anticipated the Corps will host workshops in the fall of 2017 to present the drafts to interested agencies and the public.  A public review period will coincide with the draft release to collect comments.

 As a reminder, the moratorium on issuing new shoreline use permits will remain in effect until the completion of the master plan and shoreline management plan update process. 


The current timeline projects completion of both plans by the spring of 2018. 

For more information or to ask specific questions about the moratorium, contact the Beaver Lake Project Office at 479-636-1210.

 

 

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Contact
Jay Woods
501-324-5551
james.h.woods2@usace.army.mil

Release no. 17-019