Elk Creek facility reopens

Following a closure order issued last month, the Mountain Home Ranger District reopened the Elk Creek boat ramp to the public last week.

Located on the west side of Anderson Ranch Reservoir, the ramp and Forest Service Road 120A remained closed over the past few weeks to allow crews to make needed repairs to the area.

In 2013, the boat ramp and surrounding area, located south of Pine, sustained extensive storm damage, which affected the cement boat ramp and wooden docks, forest service officials said. The damage undermined the lower boat ramp causing it to break up and lifted a section of concrete off the high water ramp.

Temporary repairs allowed the dock to reopen until the follow-up project began Sept. 9 to make permanent repairs.

"We were able to complete repairs to the upper ramp, install the abutment and anchor points, re-enforce the edge of the ramp, repair the parking lot and redirect the drainage along the ramp," said Wintauna Belt, recreation specialist with the Mountain Home Ranger District.

Ten boat dock sections still need to be installed but were already fabricated at the Nampa Job Corps' welding and carpenter shops. Repair to the low water ramp still needs completed but will have to wait until the water level drops further, district officials said.

The work was done with help from U.S. Forest Service road crews and engineers along with ranger district recreation staff members and a contractor.

Funding to complete the repairs was made possible through a grant from the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Waterway improvement fund with Elmore County providing additional money.