In an effort to rapidly reduce the scope of the federal government, campgrounds, boat ramps, and other facilities across at least 30 locations at federal lakes and reservoirs throughout six states will either close or have their operational hours reduced by mid-May. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages these recreational areas, is facing staffing shortages and budget constraints.
The Corps spokesperson, Douglas Garman, explained that consolidating the workforce at fewer locations will ensure those areas can maintain the full range of visitor services expected by the public.
The district office of the Corps in Omaha, Nebraska, which oversees a significant portion of the Great Plains, stretching from Western Iowa and Nebraska up to Montana’s Canadian border, stated that these operational changes would also help safeguard hydropower and dam operations. “Decisions to make operational changes at recreation areas are not made lightly,” Garman noted, acknowledging the impact on the public’s travel plans.
This development follows President Donald Trump’s federal hiring freeze, enacted at the onset of his second term. The administration, seeking to enhance efficiency within government operations, aims to abolish tens of thousands of federal jobs.
In Pickstown, South Dakota, the local community expressed dismay at the decision to close the visitor center at the Fort Randall Dam and suspend tours of the dam’s powerhouse as of May 1. Cindy Broyhill, president of the town’s Board of Trustees, voiced that many visitors come to enjoy fishing and boating, but more are interested in the dam tours. “I think there are other areas where they could cut,” Broyhill commented.
Meanwhile, in Western Kansas, the manager of Knothead’s bait shop and camping supply store on the east side of Wilson Lake, Sue Graham, expressed skepticism about the plan to restrict a campsite to just daytime use by May 15. While the Corps officials argue budget savings, Graham fears they risk losing fee revenues, although she expects her shop to remain unaffected by these changes.
In Kansas City’s district, plans include closing visitor centers at Hillsdale and Kanopolis lakes and prohibiting overnight camping at 25 “primitive” sites at Harlan County Lake in Western Nebraska. While these sites will still be accessible during the day, significant changes have been implemented, such as self-service campsite registrations, cashless parking, and smartphone code payment systems, as part of a five-to-six-year initiative to enhance efficiency.
In March, following similar measures, the Corps’ Baltimore district shuttered three campgrounds at Raystown Lake in central Pennsylvania and additional recreational facilities at Cowanesque Lake. The Omaha district announced the closures of six campgrounds and three visitor centers in the Dakotas and Montana, as well as suspensions or reductions in tour operations.
In a recent move, the district for southeastern Washington state declared the closure of two visitor centers and eight camping and recreation areas. These measures emphasize the strategic concentration of resources to ensure the maintenance of critical missions, as highlighted by Lt. Col. Katie Werbeck, the district’s commander.