The boat ramp at the South Bay Recreation Area will be closed April 12 and April 13 due to construction on the Herbert Hoover Dike.

“We recognize the inconvenience this closure may cause to people who were planning to use the South Bay boat ramp on April 12 and 13,” Ingrid Bon, Herbert Hoover Dike project manager forward for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said in a release. “However, we are asking boaters, fishermen, campers and other visitors to observe the signs and stay out of the marked construction areas around the South Bay boat ramp, both during the day and overnight, so we can successfully complete the construction at that location, and quickly reopen the area for public use.”

According to the Corps, construction of the seepage barrier, also known as the cutoff wall, in the roughly 35-foot high and 143-mile long Herbert Hoover Dike, is a critical part in maintaining the integrity of the dike and protecting the lakeside communities, especially when the level of the lake rises or during a storm event.

The dike rehabilitation began in 2001 and is expected to be finished by the end of 2022. Completed work in the project so far includes 21.4 miles of cutoff wall, 23 large culvert replacements and four culvert removals or abandonments. Construction that is ongoing includes five culvert replacements, 35 miles of cutoff wall and embankment armoring.

Click here for more information on the Herbert Hoover Dike.

Elsewhere, the Corps announced yesterday that it has temporarily closed the courtesy dock adjacent to the boat ramp at the W.P Franklin Lock and Dam South Recreation Area on the Caloosahatchee River near Alva for repairs. The closure is until further notice.