ROGERS, Ark. — It's been a busy weekend at Beaver Lake as thousands have been out on the water getting some much needed holiday lake time, especially after what happened three months ago during the Memorial Day weekend, when tornadoes ripped through the area.
"Everyone was busy running a chainsaw trying to keep water from coming into their house that day. Everyone's out just giving summer a big old goodbye," said Chris Zaeske, the general manager at Prairie Creek Marina.
Because of that, it's been one of the busiest Labor Day weekends at the lake in recent years.
"Pretty busy compared to most Labor Days. Really good rentals this year. Really good rentals for the holiday, completely booked up for the whole holiday. A lot of people are out trying to have fun," Zaeske said.
While the lake is packed this weekend, Jay Townsend with the Corps of Engineers said there are still a few places that you need to watch out for due to storm damage still lingering from those May tornadoes.
"There's still quite a bit of damage at Prairie Creek and Horseshoe Bend campgrounds, so they are closed. So are the swim beaches at the campgrounds. But at Horseshoe Bend, the swim beach is open, and we don't currently have any swim beaches that are testing for higher than acceptable levels of E coli," Townsend said.
However, Zaeske said they didn't get too much damage, and with the damage they did get, they were able to take care of due to his crew.
"We had a really strong crew. Everyone kind of showed up and asked what they could do. We all just wanted to get this place back to being functional again so everyone can enjoy their summer," Zaeske said.
With so many people at the lake, Townsend asks that everyone stays patient when trying to get to the water.
"It's going to be busy. It's going to be full. We're just asking folks to be courteous, you know, and have some patience as they enter and exit parks, as they go to boat launch ramps. They're going to be busy. They're going to be congested. Just give yourself some time and plan in a little patience," Townsend said.
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Townsend also asks that you try to stay as safe as possible and to put your life jacket on.
"Around Beaver Lake, you're obviously near water, so we're going to encourage everybody to wear a life jacket. A lot of the times we see people drown. They didn't even expect to get in the water. They fell out of a boat, or they slipped while they were walking on a cliff. And so if you're on or near the water, have that life jacket on. It's just a good sense of security and some insurance for you," Townsend said.
For future reference, if you want to rent a boat on a holiday weekend, give yourself at least a month in advance.
"I usually book up for all the holidays about a month in advance. I've had probably 100 phone calls the last two days from folks wanting to vote and have all been booked up," Zaeske said.
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