Low water levels mean some boat docks won’t be installed at East Lake, Crescent Lake, Wickiup Reservoir

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As a result of low water levels at East Lake, Crescent Lake and Wickiup Reservoir, the Forest Service said Friday it will not be installing a number of docks this season.

At East Lake, Cinder Hill Boating, East Lake Boating and Hot Springs Boating will not receive dock installation this season. The current East Lake water level does not reach the East Lake Boat Ramp, while the boat ramps at Cinder Hill Boating and Hot Springs Boating extend into the water at a shallow depth that will likely recede through summer.

East Lake first dropped to levels that prevented dock installation in the spring of 2021. The Forest Service said it "recognizes East Lake’s low water level as an emerging situation. Forest staff are working on a strategy to address future access to East Lake."

Additionally, on Crescent Lake, Crescent Lake Boating and Spring Boating docks will not be installed due to low water levels. The low water boat ramp at Crescent Lake Boating is open. On Wickiup Reservoir, the North Wickiup Boating docks will also not be installed due to low water levels.

Docks on Paulina Lake at Little Crater Boating and Paulina Lake Campground were scheduled to be installed Friday.

During the spring and early summer recreation season, the Forest Service reminds visitors that it’s extremely important to “Know Before You Go.” This means confirming that your destination is open for use, checking to see if routes of travel are open and reviewing predicted weather forecasts. Forest Service roads are not plowed or maintained during winter conditions.

You can visit the Deschutes National Forest website (https://www.fs.usda.gov/main/deschutes/home) to check on the operational status of our recreation sites and to find the status of boat dock installation (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/deschutes/home/?cid=fseprd1013386).