Government shutdown will close area Army Corps parks Oct. 6

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – As of Sunday, Oct. 6, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District will close public access to its 10 parks in California as a result of the federal government shutdown.

Dam operations and other mission-critical safety and security functions will continue during the shutdown. The affected parks include Martis Creek Lake in Truckee; Englebright Lake in Smartsville; Black Butte Lake in Orland; New Hogan Lake in Valley Springs; Stanislaus River Parks in Oakdale; Eastman Lake and Hensley Lake near Madera; Pine Flat Lake in Sanger; Success Lake in Porterville; and Lake Kaweah in Lemon Cove.

This action will furlough 86 park personnel, including rangers, maintenance workers and support staff.

Concessionaire access to leased areas will remain open, but public access to the lakes is prohibited.  Concessionaires and their customers should dial 911 for any emergencies during this closure.

Campers in Sacramento District parks will be required to vacate campgrounds not later than 2 p.m., Oct. 6.

Campers may cancel their reservations for a full refund. Customers required to vacate campsites early will receive a partial refund for any unused portion of their reservations. Customers may request a partial refund for any unused portion of their reservation due to the shutdown.

Recreation.gov customers should contact the reservation customer service at 877-444-6777. If the customer chooses to do nothing, the reservation service will automatically cancel reservations after their departure date during the shutdown period. As an alternative, customers may elect to leave reservations open for possible use after the shutdown is lifted.

Customers who made their reservation directly with a park office should contact that same office to make any changes.

Corps parks will reopen when the federal government shutdown ends. The Corps will post current information on the closure and reopening of facilities at www.usace.army.mil and locally on the Sacramento District’s website at http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/.