OHP Prepares For Influx Of Boaters As Flooding Closes Arcadia Lake
NORMAN, Oklahoma -
Flooding has shut down Arcadia Lake for the holiday weekend. That has other metro area lakes gearing up for an influx of boaters.
“We welcome other people here that are displaced from Arcadia Lake, come on down here. It is a nice lake,” said OHP Marine Enforcement Section Trooper Amy Cobalt. “We just want everybody to be able to enjoy whatever activity they choose to do out here and do it in a safe manner.”
Cobalt and troopers at lakes across the state will be out in force over the Fourth of July weekend, conducting safety checks on things like life jackets, fire extinguishers, and registration.
Fifty miles north of Lake Thunderbird, Edmond officials were forced to close Arcadia Lake to boat traffic. It's currently sitting 11.5 feet above normal. Lake Thunderbird is up 4.5 feet.
"Which doesn’t sound like a whole lot, but it creates areas where certain things that normally would be out of the water maybe or just right below the water surface now,” Cobalt said.
She said boaters pulling skiers, surfers and tubers should watch out for debris in the water left by flood waters. Cobalt said it will also be more important than ever to keep an eye out for other boaters.
“More people in one certain area definitely causes more crowdedness, and people still need to keep their distance away from other boats when they’re operating,” she said.
