North Texas

Lake Businesses Brace for Uncertain Season

Workers at North Texas lakes are hoping for the best, but bracing for the worst as the 2016 season kicks off.

Some worry that forecasts of another rainy summer could leave their businesses in a third year of tough times.

Many watercraft renters, marinas, and others on Lewisville Lake struggled last summer as record flood waters shut down many parks and boat ramps; forcing people to spend their summer fun money elsewhere.

"It was bad,” said Carl Burmeister of Aloha Hydro Sports. “Every weekend we hoped it would let up but it, the rain and the water just kept coming and coming and coming.”

Burmeister barely launched one of his watercrafts until about August when Lewisville’s City Park reopened and that was after a slow 2014 summer when the area was dealing with a massive drought and business was also slow.

On Saturday morning, things were looking promising.

Workers with Phil Dill Boat Rentals reported sold out reservations throughout the Memorial Day weekend, and sunny skies by the late morning had big crowds starting to show up at the lake.

Most of Lewisville Lake’s parks are finally reopened including Westlake Park which was closed until earlier this month and the Hickory Creek Park Campground which is sold out for the weekend as well.

However, some of the parks still show signs of the floods; some areas in Westlake were still covered by water Saturday.

Lake Manager Rob Jordan said his team with the Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates the lake, are keeping a close eye on lake levels; also uncertain with the forecasts ahead.

"Currently with the lakes being above conservation pool, the table's kind of set there for additional flood waters if we were to get several rounds of thunder storms,” said Jordan.

As of Saturday, Lewisville Lake was about 1.3 feet above flood levels, up again due to Friday’s rain, and the Army Corps was releasing water.

Burmeister said he just plans to take the season week by week and push business as hard as he can while the weather’s cooperating.

"God willing we'll get back on the right track again,” said Burmeister.

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