SAN FRANCISCO – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreational facilities in California will close Sunday, including the San Francisco District’s Lake Sonoma and Lake Mendocino. All campers must exit all U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ facilities by Monday at 9 a.m.
The Bay Model Visitor Center closed yesterday.
The Corps will continue its critical life, health and safety mission.
· Dam safety instrumentation will still be read as normal.
· Warm Springs and Coyote Valley dam operators will still manage operations to reduce flood risk.
· Security patrols will continue to protect federal property.
· The Don Clausen Fish Hatchery will operate to protect the endangered Coho and threatened Steelhead Salmon.
When the parks close:
· Campers who are onsite will be required to vacate campgrounds Sunday; all gates will be locked and ALL boat launch facilities closed on Monday.
· No hiking, day-use areas, visitor centers, restrooms, or special events will be open or available.
· No new visitors will be allowed into or camping reservations accepted for the park until the shutdown is lifted.
· Lake Sonoma Marina is a concessionaire and will continue to operate. Boat launch facilities will be closed.
Campers will receive a refund for any unused portion of their reservations. Campers with future reservations may request a full refund or elect to leave reservations open for possible use after the shutdown is lifted and request a refund for any unused portion of their reservation due to the shutdown. To request a refund please contact the reservation customer service at 1-888-448-1474 (TDD 1-877-833-6777). The reservation service will automatically cancel reservations after a customer’s scheduled departure date during the shutdown period if the customer chooses to do nothing.
The District will continue to remove debris from the San Francisco Bay federal channels that threatens cargo vessels, shipping lanes, port operations and commuter vessels.
The District Regulatory Division is the regulatory authority for Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act. The Regulatory Division has suspended processing permits. New permit requests will be processed when shutdown is lifted.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USACE is the nation’s largest provider of outdoor recreation opportunities with about 370 million visits a year at its lakes, beaches, and nearly 12 million acres of public lands and waters. The USACE Recreation Program supports the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative as well as many other national health and wellness initiatives.
Established in 1866, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers San Francisco District employs approximately 300 people, who are responsible for 40,000 square miles extending 600 miles from the Oregon border to San Luis Obispo County. The district’s programs and projects support approximately 1,000 permanent, higher-wage jobs that contribute to more than $100 million to the regional economy.
The district helps build the nation’s long-term economic strength in an environmentally-sustainable way through water-supply management and flood-damage reduction, shore and coastal protection, ecosystems restoration, and wildlife protection. The district works in partnership with local, state and federal agencies. District staff respond with emergency operations for natural disasters, regulate development that affects waterways and wetlands, and keeps navigation channels, harbors and ports open for the more than 100 million tons of cargo shipped to area deep-water ports.