Drought continues to reduce access to fishing hotspot
Barnett Reservoir officials on Friday announced the closing of seven more boat ramps, bringing the total number to 10 that are unusable due to drought-related low water conditions.
The lake level was 295.3 on Friday, 2.2 feet below normal.
Pearl River Valley Water Supply District, the state agency that oversees the operation of the 33,000-acre lake near Jackson, is closing all ramps with less than three feet of water at the end of the concrete.
The latest closures include ramps at Goshen Springs Campground, Lake Harbor Road and Harbor Lane in the Mississippi Highway 43 area, as well as the Madison County side of the Spillway and the Glen Cove, Bay Park and Harbor View ramps in Pelahatchie Bay.
Fannin Landing, Brown’s Landing and Twin Harbor all have been over a week.
All other ramps remain open, but boaters are urged to use caution while launching or returning, and while running on the lake. Due to low water, more obstacles are closer to the surface.
It is recommended that boaters use the four deepest ramps at the lake — Goshen Springs Landing next to Tommy’s Trading Post on Highway 43, Madison County and Rankin County Landings on the lower lake and Pelahatchie Shore Park in Pelahatchie Bay. All have at least five feet of water on the ramps, but only the Goshen Springs Landing has floating courtesy piers, providing the safest and easiest launching conditions.
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