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Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, contains the rules and regulations that govern the public use of water resources development projects administered by the Chief of Engineers.  Visitors are bound by the rules in Title 36, and these rules are enforced by project Park Rangers.

 General Recreation Policies Specific to Sam Rayburn Reservoir      

Airboats:
Sam Rayburn:  No prohibitions on Airboats
Town Bluff:  Airboats prohibited north of State Highway 190

Campfires: 
All fires must be confined to designated areas.  Fires must be confined to and within ground-level fire rings/cookers where provided.  During periods of fire bans, no campfires will be permitted.  Wood or charcoal fires in the fire rings will not be permitted.  Covered charcoal grills using charcoal and gas grills will be permitted for cooking during a fire ban.  Grills charcoal or otherwise will not be allowed on designated swimming beaches.

Parasails, Hang Gliders, Parachutes, and Hot Air Balloons:
Sam Rayburn:  Parasails are allowed for an individual’s use with no permit requirement.  Hang Gliders are prohibited.  Parachutes and Hot Air Balloons are all by Lake Activity or Special Event Permit only.
Town Bluff:  All are prohibited

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Pets: 
In accordance with established district policy and Title 36, any animal or pet which is obviously of a dangerous nature, such as bears, wolves, wild felines (tigers, lions, cougars, bobcats, etc.), gorillas, snakes, etc. will not be allowed onto Corps property.   This applies within out-grants as well as Corps-managed campgrounds.  If a park ranger or reservoir manager determines that a particular animal is a public nuisance or a possible safety problem to visitors, then they may request the owner remove the animal from government property.  In those cases where the owner is not in the area, they may contact an animal control officer to remove the animal from Government property. All dogs must be physically restrained by a leash, pen, or cage at all times, even while swimming or even if the park is not crowded.  Visitors can be informed that if a friendly dog is allowed to run free then all dogs must be allowed to run free, even unfriendly ones, as we cannot discriminate. We do not want to risk having an aggressive dog harm a child or another dog, and we cannot accept an owner’s assurance that his or her dog is harmless. There can be no exceptions to this policy.

Seaplanes:
Sam Rayburn:  Prohibited west of State Highway 147 and north of Farm Market Highway 83 and in scattered uncleared areas of the lake.  Reference the Notice To Seaplane Pilots on Sam Rayburn for complete details. 
Town Bluff:  Seaplanes are prohibited

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Road Closures: 
Roads or portions of roads will routinely be closed anytime floodwaters inundate the road.  There is no minimum depth.  Roads may be closed if the base material becomes saturated to the point where base failure can be expected.  Roads will remain closed 14 days after the water has receded from the road.  

Site Closures: 
Sites shall be closed whenever one or more of the following facilities are inundated or surrounded by water:  RV electrical service, table, fire ring, trailer pad, tent pad, or a significant amount of the living area.  Electrical service to closed sites must be turned off at the main breaker box.  Sites must be allowed to dry a sufficient amount of time prior to reopening.  Rangers must confirm sites have been inspected for potential hazards and insure electrical service is working prior to releasing a closed site for use.  Attendants will not be allowed to release sites for use without first confirming with a Ranger.  If the paved RV pad of a site was inundated, the site must remain closed for 14 days after the water recedes from the pad.

Sewer Hookups:
The only campsites available with sewer hookups are located in Twin Dikes Park. Sites 4, 7, 12, 13 & 14 feature 30 amp electric, water and sewer hookups.  Site S1, S2 and S3 feature a Screen Shelter, and RV site with 30 amp electric, water and sewer hookups.

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Swimming / Wading Pools: 
Wading / Swimming Pools greater than 20’ in circumference and 12” in depth are prohibited.  Wading / Swimming pools of any size may be prohibited in areas where resource damage can be expected to occur.  Customers will be required to move pools every seven days to minimize vegetation damage. 

Waste Water Disposal: 
All waste water (including gray water) must be properly disposed of at the park dump stations.  The release of “gray water” on the ground from any source including outdoor showers and sinks is prohibited. 

Equestrian Lake Activity or Special Events Policy

 General Provisions

Equestrian camping is permitted on sites 1 – 10 in Ebenezer Park.  Horses will be restricted to the area immediately around these sites, on designated trails on Corps property, and on U.S. Forest Service property adjacent to the park, unless otherwise specified within a Lake Activity or Special Event Permit.  Equestrian campers must pay at the honor vault at time of check-in or obtain a Lake Activity or Special Event Permit in advance from the Sam Rayburn Project Office. Equestrian campers must have current documentation (negative results of a Coggins test conducted within the last six months) that verifies that horses are free from Equine Infectious Anemia (EIA) as prescribed by current state law.

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Walk In Camping

Sites 1-10 are available for equestrian-use camping on a “walk-in” basis (see exceptions on major holiday weekends, below).  These sites are not reservable through www.recreation.gov The sites are not restricted to equestrian use; they may be rented and utilized for any legitimate recreation use.

Scheduling Future Events

Equestrian groups may request sites be held for future events.  Each family requesting a site must bring at least one horse.  Such group events require a Lake Activity Permit or Special Event Permit, issued by the Project Office.  The request for such a permit must be made at least seven days in advance of the event, in order to avoid conflicts with other users who might occupy these campsites.

Each group may request any or all of the ten designated campsites for use. The Sam Rayburn Project Office will not “hold” specific sites for individuals, only for the group as a whole. It will be the responsibility of the permittee to assign participants to specific, individual sites if so desired.  Any site(s) not used by the group will be available for use by the general public during the event.

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Major Holiday Restrictions

The park is available for equestrian use all year. However, on the major holiday weekends listed below, no equestrian walk-ins are allowed, and any equestrian groups wishing to utilize the park will be required to reserve (via Lake Activity or Special Event Permit) and pay for all ten sites.  This is to reduce the potential for conflict between recreational and equestrian users on dates when the park is extremely crowded.

These restrictions apply to the following holiday weekends:

Easter
McDonald’s Big Bass Tournament
Memorial Day
Fourth of July
Labor Day

Advance Payment

Advanced payments for equestrian special events will no longer be required. This policy is subject to future reinstatement if conditions warrant.

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Arrival at the Park

Upon arrival at Ebenezer Park, the permittee must show their copy of the Lake Activity or Special Event Permit to the attendant on duty, if present.  All participants are required to register and pay at the park honor vault. NOTE:  PAYMENT MUST BE IN THE FORM OF TRAVELER’S CHECK, PERSONAL CHECK OR CORRECT CASH AMOUNT ONLY. Change is not available at the park.

All participants will be subject to the conditions set forth within the Lake Activity or Special Event Permit, as well as the rules and regulations defined within Part 327 of Title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, and local laws and policies.  The permittee must make special effort to insure all participants understand and abide by the cleanup requirements specified within the Special Event Permit.  All participants should possess the appropriate equine health certification as required by Texas law.

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