California – As of Sunday, Oct. 6, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed public access to all parks and recreation facilities it operates in California as a result of the federal government shutdown. All Dam operations and other mission-critical safety and security functions will continue during the shutdown.
The affected parks include: Lake Sonoma near Healdsburg, Lake Mendocino in Mendocino, Martis Creek Lake in Truckee; Englebright Lake in Smartsville; Black Butte Lake in Orland; New Hogan Lake in Valley Springs; Stanislaus River Parks in Oakdale; Eastman Lake and Hensley Lake near Madera; Pine Flat Lake in Sanger; Success Lake in Porterville; and Lake Kaweah in Lemon Cove. The San Francisco Bay Model Visitor Center in Sausalito is also closed.
Concessionaire access to leased areas will remain open, but boat launch facilities are closed. Public access to the lakes is prohibited. Concessionaires and their customers should dial 911 for any emergencies during this closure.
The Corps will continue its critical life, health and safety mission.
• Dam safety instrumentation will still be read as normal.
• Warm Springs and Coyote Valley dam operators will still manage operations to reduce flood risk.
• Security patrols will continue to protect federal property.
• The Don Clausen Fish Hatchery will operate to protect the endangered Coho and threatened Steelhead Salmon.
During park closure:
• ALL gates are locked and ALL boat launch facilities are closed.
• No hiking, day-use areas, visitor centers, restrooms, or special events are open or available.
• No new camping reservations will be accepted for the park until the shutdown is lifted.
• Campers may cancel their reservations for a full refund. Customers required to vacate campsites early will receive a partial refund for any unused portion of their reservations. Customers may request a partial refund for any unused portion of their reservation due to the shutdown.
• Recreation.gov customers should contact the reservation customer service at 877-444-6777. If the customer chooses to do nothing, the reservation service will automatically cancel reservations after their departure date during the shutdown period. As an alternative, customers may elect to leave reservations open for possible use after the shutdown is lifted.
• Customers who made their reservation directly with a park office should contact that same office to make any changes.
• Corps parks will reopen when the federal government shutdown ends. The Corps will post current information on the closure and reopening of facilities at www.usace.army.mil, and on the Sacramento District website at http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/, and San Francisco District website at www.spn.usace.army.mil.