Flooding risk brings closures along Roosevelt Lake shoreline
Oct 9, 2020, 4:00 PM
(Bachelor Cove Campground/United States Department of Agriculture Forest Services Website Photo)
(Bachelor Cove Campground/United States Department of Agriculture Forest Services Website Photo)
PHOENIX — An increased risk of flooding has prompted Tonto National Forest officials to close recreational areas along Roosevelt Lake’s shoreline starting Friday.
Forest officials say the closures are to ensure public health and safety. The closure extends through March 15, unless the order is lifted before that date.
The area around Roosevelt Lake was burned earlier this year by the Bush Fire, which consumed more than 180,000 acres in the Tonto National Forest. Now, as the burned area recovers, it is more susceptible to debris flows and flooding during a modest rainfall, officials say.
“We’ve implemented this closure as a precaution since there’s been an increased risk for a high-flow flood event in the drainages leading down to the recreation sites along Roosevelt Lake,” District Ranger Kelly Jardine said in a statement. “We can’t take any chances. The protection of the public and our employees is a priority for the Tonto National Forest.”
Campgrounds that are affected by the closure include Orange Peel, Bermuda Flat, Cholla Bay and Bachelors Cove.
Violators could receive a fine of up to $5,000 for an individual or $10,000 for an organization, imprisonment of up to six months, or both.
