The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Baltimore District, which oversees operations of numerous Flood Risk Management and recreation sites throughout the Susquehanna and Potomac River Basins, said Thursday that it will close several campgrounds and beaches due to staffing shortages that will prohibit the safe operations of these facilities ahead of the 2025 recreation season.
USACE staff will continue to prioritize tasks essential to public health and safety, such as dam operations for flood protection and emergency response readiness, a press release sent out Thursday afternoon said.
The following recreational offerings will be impacted.
Raystown Lake in Hesston, Pennsylvania
- Seven Points, Susquehannock, and Nancy’s Boat-to-Shore Campgrounds will remain closed until further notice.
- Scheduled recreation and stewardship events will be reduced and are subject to cancellation.
- The Raystown Lake Visitor Center, as well as day-use facilities such as beaches, overlooks, picnic pavilions, walking trails, boat launches, disc golf courses and the mountain bike skills park, will remain open.
- Leased areas and concessionaries, including Seven Points Marina and Raystown Resort, will operate according to their respective schedules.
Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes in Tioga, Pennsylvania
- Tompkins Campground, including its swim beach and boat ramp, will remain closed until further notice.
- Cowanesque Lake day-use facilities such as picnic pavilions, walking trails, boat launches, disc golf course, and picnic areas will remain open.
- Ives Run Campground and Visitor Information Center, as well as day-use facilities such as picnic pavilions, walking trails, boat launches, disc golf course, swim beach and picnic areas, will remain open.
- Lambs Creek Recreation Area and boat ramp will remain open.
- Scheduled recreation and stewardship events will be reduced and are subject to cancelation.
- Leased areas and concessionaries, including Mill Cove, Tioga Little League Fields, and Mansfield Veterans Park will operate according to their respective schedules.
Visitors who have paid reservations that have been canceled due to campground closures will be refunded via Recreation.gov. All refunds generated within the Recreation.gov system will be communicated through email. For assistance, click on this link.
The announcement prompted many to express their dissatisfaction beneath the release on Facebook.
As one commenter said succinctly, “There go my summer plans.” Added another, “This is going to kill the local economy.”
Others saw it as a reason to privatize. “They should just sell these campgrounds to someone who can actually manage it then,” the commenter said.
The closures do not impact recreation areas on Jennings Randolph Lake located in Garrett County, Maryland, and Mineral County, West Virginia, or projects that are operated and maintained by non-federal entities. The Baltimore District has various agreements where USACE-owned property is managed by city, county, or state governments, and/or private individuals.
There are 12 properties in two states that fall into this category:
- Kanakadea Park, East Sidney Lake and Dorchester Park in New York
- Bald Eagle State Park, Kettle Creek State Park, Aylesworth Park, Curwensville Lake, Mill Cove, Tioga Little League Fields, and Mansfield Veterans Park, Lake Raystown Resort and Seven Points Marina in Pennsylvania
Updates regarding Baltimore District closures will be communicated via the Raystown Lake website and Facebook page, as well as the Tioga-Hammond and Cowanesque Lakes websites and Facebook page.
link