Visitors Ready To Make Waves At Beaver Lake

Memorial Day weekend is a busy one at Beaver Lake, and the time when many skippers take their boat on its maiden voyage of the summer season.

That first cruise can be a festive family occasion, provided the engine starts and all required safety items are on board, along with the ice chest, sunscreen and an American flag.

Beaver Lake Sail and Power Squadron members did free boat inspections last weekend, as they do every May. Len Oswald, safety officer for the group, said the courtesy inspections routinely reveal three items many boats lack. Better to catch them during a courtesy inspection to prevent a ticket later from law enforcement on the water.

"Two of the things we see all the time are registration and insurance," Oswald said. All power boats must have registration on board. Boats with engines more than 50 horsepower are required to carry proof of insurance.

"People will say, 'I have my registration. Oh, it's at home'," Oswald said.

Operators of personal watercraft are most likely not to carry registration or proof of insurance. They're required by law to do so.

"Just put it in a zipper lock bag and keep it on board," Oswald said.

Next is not enough life jackets.There must be a proper-fitting life jacket for each passenger in the boat.

"Most of the time they're fine with just their family on board. There might be four life jackets in the boat, but on holidays when they take friends out, they find they are short," Oswald said.

Skippers who find themselves needing an extra life jacket or two can take advantage of new life-jacket loaner stands set up by the Army Corps of Engineers at three sites on the lake. Loaner vests are available at the swim beaches at Prairie Creek, Horseshoe Bend and Dam Site Lake parks. Simply return the vests when finished with them.

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Beaver Lake flotilla, plans safety patrols on the lake to assist boaters today through Monday. David Waldrup, flotilla commander, said there are several things a skipper should check before taking the season's maiden voyage.

Check fuel to make sure the tank is full, or at least full enough to complete the trip. Check the oil level if there is an on-board oil tank. Be sure the boat's battery is charged. Carry a cellphone for safety and make sure it is charged. Review Arkansas boating regulations before heading out.

Waldrup said boaters who find themselves stranded on the lake may call the auxiliary's command center, 866-777-2784, for help.

Conditions are good at Beaver Lake and its parks for the holiday weekend, said Michael Hurley, park ranger. The lake level is good for safe boating, campsites are ready and park swim beaches all have new sand.

All reservable sites are taken for the weekend, he said. "We have a few first-come, first-served sites but we expect those to be full by Friday night," he said. There are 677 campsites at the corps parks around Beaver Lake, Hurley said.

Weather is the main factor in the size of the lake crowd, he said.

"Memorial Day weekend is always busy and it could be more so this year. It's been a rough winter and people are ready to get out," Hurley said. "I'll be curious to see how school still being in session affects the weekend."

The harsh winter has the water temperature at Beaver Lake a bit colder than other Memorial Day weekends. The temperature is about 70 degrees. That's pretty chilly for swimming, Hurley said, but it won't stop hardy water fans.

The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission does more than enforce fishing regulations on the lake. Wildlife officers enforce all state boating regulations, said Capt. Brian McKinzie, area enforcement supervisor.

"The violation we see most is people water skiing without a rearview mirror or observer in the boat," he said.

When towing youngsters on inflatable water toys, it's best to have an observer, even though an observer isn't required.

"If you're pulling three kids and one of them falls off, the boat driver might not notice but an observer would," McKinzie said.

Another violation is making a wake in a no-wake zone. State law states boats may not make a wake when within 100 feet of a dock or other structure. "That's why folks have to slow down when they go under the Highway 12 bridge," McKinzie said.

There is no speed limit on the lake, he said.

In the event of a boating accident, Game & Fish is the agency that works the mishap.

"It's not the State Police. It's not the county sheriff. It's us," McKinzie said.

Hurley said the busiest areas of the lake are the Prairie Creek area and near Beaver Dam.

Data from the corps indicates 114 people have drowned at Beaver Lake since it was built in the mid-1960s. None of the victims was wearing a life jacket.