Jan Schultz | The Imperial Republican
The water was full of boats Tuesday at Enders Lake, where temperatures in the mid-80s drew big numbers that started late last week. Here, a pair of boats crisscross the lake just west of the dam.
Jan Schultz | The Imperial Republican
Shoreline areas, like Sunny Beach, above, were near capacity Tuesday on the Fourth of July, many of which were camping overnight. All electrical camping sites at Enders Lake Recreation Area were full and beaches like this one had strong use.
Sunny days bring out crowds to Enders Lake
Weather cooperated with sun and warm temperatures for a great holiday weekend at Enders Lake Recreation Area.
Lake Supt. Beau Licking said he estimated around 900 people visited each day of the five-day weekend. He started counting on Friday.
“That [daily estimate] includes the campers and day visitors,” he said.
Campers and others started arriving for the extended weekend Wednesday, “and they really started rolling in on Thursday,” he said.
Overnight arrivals continued into Saturday.
All of the electrical camping areas were filled, and there were good numbers at the primitive sites including the Sunny and Angler beaches, and Hannibal Hollow campground on the lake’s east side.
Game and Parks Conservation Officer Sophie Gobber, who has ELRA in her coverage area, said it was a very busy holiday weekend, one of the busiest she’s seen at Enders in her three years on the job.
She issued several citations to parents of children not wearing life jackets while in or on the water.
“That was a really big problem” over the holiday, she said.
Lake-goers were greeted with slightly higher lake levels. Licking estimates generous rains the past couple of weeks have lifted the lake level several feet. He didn’t have exact increases, but said the levels are higher since the rains.
Caution urged on WMA road
According to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, roads or portions of roads leading to several wildlife management areas in southwest Nebraska remain closed more than a month later after heavy rains in late May.
Supt. Licking said, while the Enders WMA road south of the lake is not closed, users of it should utilize extreme caution in negotiating that road.
“If you are in a car, I wouldn’t go in there until the road is fixed,” he said.
Any low clearance vehicles should stay off that road, he said.
The Enders crew is waiting on heavy equipment from the Game and Parks that will fix the washed-out areas on the road.
Other areas being assessed for damage are Frenchman, Hayes Center, Swanson, Red Willow and Medicine Creek WMAs, where some portions of roads are still underwater.
Repairs will be made as roads dry out, Game and Parks officials said.