Corps reminds visitors, lakeside residents of regulations at Beaver Lake

ROGERS, Ark. - Army Corps of Engineers officials ask those living near Beaver Lake to avoid unauthorized work on public property. They also remind lake users and landowners adjacent to the lake that tying up boats along the shoreline and operating vehicles off authorized roadways on public property is prohibited.

It is imperative that adjacent landowners to public land know where the property line is and avoid unauthorized activities. Only certain activities on public land can be authorized, and those must be approved in writing before work begins. Violators are subject to a range of penalties under the law. It is up to adjacent landowners to identify the boundary line and avoid unauthorized activity, just as they would avoid encroaching on any neighbor's land.

Boat owners are also reminded that vessels left on the lake must be moored at either a commercial marina or a private dock. Otherwise, they must be removed from the lake and stored on private property, not on public land and not left on the shoreline. Boats left unattended on the shoreline can break loose during storms and become floating hazards, while others can become stranded when lake levels fall.

Corps personnel will patrol the lake to identify boats not in compliance. Boats remaining on the lake in violation of these rules may be impounded with the owner subject to citation. Unauthorized buoys anchored in the lake will also be removed.

Regulations also prohibit operating vehicles off authorized roadways on public land. This applies to all vehicles, including four-wheel-drive, off-road and all-terrain-vehicles.  Driving off road destroys public property and degrades the shoreline and water quality.  If caught, violators could be required to appear before a U.S. Magistrate in Federal Court.

If you see someone operating a vehicle off of authorized roadways on public property, please notify the Corps at 501-340-1701. Try to obtain a license number or vehicle description, but do not try to apprehend or confront the person. The Corps will prosecute these acts.

For more information about the use of government property, call the Beaver Lake Project Office at 479-636-1210 or visit us on our website at http://www.swl.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/Lakes/BeaverLake.aspx or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/beaverlakeusace.