In a surprise move, the Water Oriented Recreation District of Comal County (WORD) Wednesday walked back plans to close Boat Ramp #18 when Canyon Park shuts down for the season on Sunday.
General Manager Mike Dussere said he made the decision to keep the ramp operating since Boat Ramp #17 will close Friday due to low lake levels, which would have left Boat Ramp #19 the only way for boaters to get out on the lake.
“The park is always closed in November, but WORD recognizes that this is the only available ramp with a courtesy dock and one of only two ramps total on the lake and wishes to continue to provide lake access for the public,” he said. “We will assess the status after each weekend in November and determine whether we are able to continue.”
Boat Ramp #19 is owned by Canyon Lake Marina and costs $30 to use.
Access to Boat Ramp #18 costs $5 per vehicle for Comal County-registered vehicles and $20 per vehicle for all others.
Hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays only. Boaters must be out of the park by 6 p.m. Times will be strictly enforced for the safety of guests and staff as daylight savings time approaches.
WORD is a park and recreation district created by the Texas Legislature in 1987. It issues permits to water-related businesses, allowing it to collect user fees from customers visiting the district.
Boat Ramp #6
In other boat ramp news, Comal County crews worked on improvements to Boat Ramp #6 this week. Contrary to rumors on social media the ramp was not being “extended” into Canyon Lake, which would require authorization from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“While the lake is low the county is working to address the ability of lake users to safely launch and recover watercraft from Ramp #6,” said Doug Leecock with the Canyon Lake Boat Ramps Community Alliance, which has pushed for improvements at the nine county-operated boat ramps.
“The area that is being addressed had significant wear and patchwork over the years,” he said. “The road department is doing a great job of addressing these issues to provide improved access to Canyon Lake, and we look forward to our continued work with commissioners to address issues at the other county-operated boat ramps.”
