Guernsey Reservoir to Empty by Late August
United States Bureau of Reclamation operations are lowering Guernsey below the usable boat ramp levels before Labor Day weekend to begin repairs on the Guernsey Powerplant intake gate. Once reduced to a river level, the reservoir will not be refilling until March 2022.
On the heels of the (USBR) announcement about the lowering of the water level at Guernsey Reservoir, the Wyoming Division of State Parks, Historic Sites and Trails is allowing customers to move their current reservations to another park, or cancel current reservations at Guernsey State Park with a full refund for campsites reserved from August 30 through September 30, 2021.
Customers with reservations can go online or call Reserve America (1-877-996-7275) to move or cancel their reservation.
Guernsey’s Long Canyon and Main boat ramps will be usable until approximately August 29. After that, Guernsey will not have any boat launch capabilities.
Guernsey State Park Superintendent, Chris Delay, encourages visitors to plan accordingly, saying, “We know how disappointing it is to show up and not be able to do the activity you had planned. We are trying to get as much information out to our visitors as possible so they can make an informed decision before coming out to the parks.”
He added, ”there are many reasons other than boating and fishing to come and visit Guernsey State Park. There are still fun recreational activities to take part in, like biking and hiking the old CCC trails. Just hang out, relax and read a book. Visit the CCC-built structures like the Castle, Brimmer Point, and Museum, to name a few. Take side trips to nearby Register Cliff and Oregon Trail Ruts Historic Sites to explore immigrant trail history in Wyoming. Fort Laramie is within a short drive also. Bring the kids or grandkids and work with them to earn their Junior Ranger Badge. There will be plenty of beach for building sandcastles or playing volleyball.”
At the same time Guernsey is being lowered, Glendo Reservoir will also see dramatic decreases in water levels.
“We will be about 11 feet lower than the same time last year on Labor Day, Glendo Superintendent Brian Johnson said. “While water levels at Glendo are low this time of year, there is still plenty of water for boating, fishing, and other water-related activities. The Whiskey Gulch, Reno Cove and the Marina boat ramps will be usable throughout the low water period. The Indian Point boat ramp is good for use through August 22 but will become unusable the week of August 23.”
He went on to caution visitors to Glendo of the risks associated with traveling below the high-water line.
“The lake bottom has been inundated for months, and only the top layer dries out,” Johnson said. “Travel below the high-water line is restricted to traveling to the water's edge for access purposes only.”
More information can be found on the Guernsey State Park, Glendo State Park, and the State Parks (agency) Facebook pages, as well as other happenings at our sites.