By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
The start of May means warmer weather and the start of boating season. It also means the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is charging to use its boat ramps at Wilson Lake. Brandon Beckman, safety and occupational health specialist with the Corps, said the fees are administered each May 1 through Sept. 30 at the Corps ramps.
"There's a self-pay station at each boat ramp," he said. "There are signs with instructions at each one. It's $5 per day, per vehicle. There are also America the Beautiful passes that we sell at our Corps offices."
Disability, free-access passes are available with proper documentation, as are senior lifetime passes for those 62 years and older. The Corps also offers an annual pass for $40 that may be used at any Corp ramp nationwide. State park passes are not applicable to the Corps ramps, but there are several state ramps at Wilson. The self-pay stations are based on the honor system, but rangers can easily verify payment.
"It's an envelope, and you put the payment in there, and there's a detachable tag you hang on your vehicle," Beckman said. "The portion with the payment, it has the same exact serial number as the one that's hanging in your window."
The Corps also reported Wilson Lake is down approximately 20 inches from normal, and its slide-in docks have been pushed out about as far as they can go.