ATTENTION RECREATION USERS!
New Fees – 1 Jan 2016
Day Use Fees
Beach Fees: $2/walk-in, $5/vehicle, $20/bus and no fees for children under 16 y/o
Boat Ramps: $5/vehicle
Special Use/Facility Fees
Pavilions: $75/reservation
Special Events: $75/event
Camping
Class A – Dub Patton, Hernando Pt. &
South Abutment Campgrounds: $20/night/year round/not to exceed 14 days
but extensions are available
Class C – Outlet Channel: $10/night (1 May-30 Sep) Free (1 Oct-30 Mar)
14 days only – no extensions, year round
Class D – Kelly’s Crossing & Pleasant Hill
Campgrounds: $8/night (1 May – 30 Sep Free (1 Oct-30 Mar)
14 days only – no extensions, year round
*Interagency Annual/Senior/Access/Volunteer/Military Passes and Golden Age/Access Passports are valid for covering standard amenity recreation fees for all USACE areas and recreational area of other Federal agencies participating in the America the Beautiful National Parks and the Federal Recreational Lands Pass Program. Interagency Senior/Access and Golden Age/Access Passports are also valid for a 50 percent reduction in single/family unit camping fees but are not valid for Pavilion Rentals and Special Event Permits.
Passes: USACE Annual Pass: $40 yearly
Interagency Annual Pass: $80 yearly
Interagency Senior Pass: $10 lifetime
Interagency Access Pass: Free lifetime
Interagency Military Pass: Free yearly
Interagency Volunteer Pass: Free yearly
Interagency Every Kid in the Park Pass Free 1 Sep-31 Aug, year of issue
*Interagency = America the Beautiful Program.
ATTENTION OFF-ROAD VEHICLE USERS!
Based upon recommendations provided by field employees and public feedback, the following amendments have been made to the Off-Road Policy implemented 1 October 2015:
- General Authorization for ORV Use: ORVs are authorized for off-road use on Subject Lands in accordance with COE rules and with other applicable laws, regulations or restrictions. Nothing in these rules should be construed to authorize operation of ORVs on public roads or highways in violation of Mississippi law.
- Age Requirements: Persons less than 16 years of age are prohibited from operating an ORV unless they are licensed or in possession of a safety course completion certificate, as provided in Rule 6, and they are accompanied by a licensed driver 21 years of age or older.
ATTENTION OFF-ROAD VEHICLE USERS!
Beginning 1 October 2015, the following rules will be enforced at Arkabutla Lake:
- Helmet Requirement. Anyone operating, riding on, or being carried by an Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) must at all times wear a U.S. Department of Transportation-approved helmet.
- License Requirement. Drivers must possess a state-issued driver's license or a certificate of completion of an ATV Safety Course as provided in Mississippi Code Ann § 63-31-3, except in an emergency situation.
- Age Requirement/Responsible Operation. No drivers may be under 16 years of age and all vehicles shall be operated in accordance with posted restrictions and regulations and in accordance with applicable Federal, state, and local laws.
- Natural Resource/Environmental Protection. No person may operate an ORV in streams, creeks, ditches, pools, ponds, lakes, wetlands, impoundments, or other permanent, intermittent or seasonal water bodies, except to ford at the lowest practicable safe speed, in a manner to cause the least damage to banks and beds, when necessary to continue travel.
- Hours of Operation. No person may operate an ORV between the hours of one hour after sunset and one hour prior to sunrise except for purposes of hunting and fishing only.
A link has been provided in the section above to a complete copy of these rules.
For more information, please contact Arkabutla Lake Field Office at 662.562.6261.
Life Jackets are Mandatory at MS Lake
The following life jacket rules are being enforced at all four of the Vicksburg District-North Mississippi lakes at Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid and Grenada.
All persons must wear a US Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times:
- while swimming outside of designated swimming areas.
- while skiing or being pulled by a vessel, regardless of vessel length.
- on powered vessels 16 to 26 feet in length whenever under power by the main propulsion unit.
- on powered vessels less than 16 feet in length or on non-powered vessels regardless of length.
For more information, contact the Arkabutla Lake Field Office at 662.562.6261 or the MS Project Management Office at 662.578.3873 or 662.712.1201.
The Vicksburg District has a new APP!
The app is a great source for learning about the services offered by the District. Here are some of the items contained in the app:
• Water level observations for the District and forecasts from the National Weather Service
• Info on how to sell your goods and services to the Corps of Engineers
• Social media, news and photos from the District’s Public Affairs Office
• Info from the District’s Emergency Management Office for times of crisis
• Permitting info and notices from our Regulatory Office
• Tons of info on all of the recreation areas in the District
• Free map downloads of maps of major rivers including the Mississippi
• Ways to find our offices in the District and contact us here at HQ
Arkabutla Lake – Emergency Contacts After Hours
With over 40,000 acres of land and water to manage at Arkabutla Lake and a limited number of Ranger personnel available to offer visitor assistance, sometimes it may be difficult to locate a Ranger, especially after our regular office hours (Mon-Fri, 7:00am-3:30pm) when our telephones are unmanned.
If you are having an emergency after office hours or on the weekend and you need assistance, sometimes the best approach is to contact the local Sheriff’s Department. Arkabutla Lake occupies two Mississippi counties in northwest corner of the state, Tate and Dsto. These local law enforcement agencies have a 24-hour dispatcher that can communicate with field personnel at Arkabutla Lake as well as Search and Rescue Units, Aviation Units, Emergency Medical Response and much more. Their contact numbers are:
Desoto County – 662-429-1470
Tate County – 662-562-4434
Your Safety - Our Concern
Arkabutla Lake – Policy
Duck Blind Policy – Effective since March 2009, duck blind permits are no longer being issued. Only temporary/portable blinds for waterfowl hunting are permitted. All blinds and associated applications (decoys, camouflage, etc.) must be removed from project lands on a daily basis and may not remain on the project overnight. Blinds that use nails, screws, or spikes to attach to trees are strictly prohibited. Placement of duck blinds shall not be used as a means of reserving a favorite hunting location. This policy has been instituted to provide an equal opportunity to all project users and to also provide a safer environment for the visiting public.
Deer Stand Policy – Effective since March 2009, Arkabutla Lake no longer allows deer stands to be left overnight on Government Property. Past practices associated with the Deer Stand Policy led many users to the mistaken conclusion that a given area of public property was reserved by the deer stand owners. This was never the intent of the deer stand policy. This updated policy was instituted to provide an equal opportunity to all project users and to also provide a safer environment for the visiting public. Portable hunting stands, climbing devices, steps, or blinds that are not nailed or screwed into trees may be used. These portable hunting stands, climbing devices, steps, or blinds must be occupied at all times. Fixed tower stands and shooting houses are prohibited. Stands or structures that are found violation of this policy shall be considered an unauthorized structure and will be subject to summary removal or impoundment by project personnel. Questions and Comments may be directed to Arkabutla Lake Field Office at the following email address: arkabutla.lake@usace.army.mil.
Mandatory Life Jacket Wear – Mandatory wear life jacket rules will be enforced on the Vicksburg District’s four north Mississippi lakes – Arkabutla, Sardis, Enid, ad Grenada. For more information, contact the MS Project Management Office at 662.578.3873 or any of the lake field offices – Arkabutla Lake 662.562.6261, Sardis Lake 662.563.4531, Enid Lake 662.563.4571, and Grenada Lake 662.226.5911.
Cultural Resource Protection – Visitors are reminded that the removal of historical and archaeological features (material from old house sites, arrowheads, human remains, etc.) is prohibited. If caught, looters face arrest, fines of up to $20,000 and imprisonment for disturbing these safeguarded areas.