The ramp was closed by the City of Austin on October 1. The lake has been chronically low in the late-summer and fall the last 4-5 years although the City left the ramp open and it was launch at your own risk. City says it cannot pump water into the lake that time of year to raise the water level per a contract with LCRA. A long term solution would be to spend some money to deepen the ramp. Expert I talked to said it could be done for 20k max. Take a look at the petition and sign it if you agree.

https://chng.it/QBbkTpSQ97

Done & posted on my F/B page.

Thanks!

What is crazy is I launched a 21-foot bass boat four days before the City abruptly closed the ramp. No input from the public that actually use the ramp and pay to use that ramp. They just make an executive decision to close it in the interest of "public safety". The water level was at least a foot lower last year and I was still able to launch. Even when I wasn't able to launch smaller boats had no issues. Government overreach at its finest.

Done

I attended the virtual "community engagement" meeting regarding Phase 1 Walter E. Long Park improvements. I say "engagement" sarcastically as there were 19 attendees and most were City of Austin staff or their consultants. The meeting started with the Reynaldo Hernandez, the Phase 1 Project Manager saying they were not going to talk about the boat ramp closure, but there is a new ramp planned in Phase 1, so I was able to ask about that. Phase 1 construction for park improvements will begin in 2025. This will consist of a bathroom, playground, road improvements, new picnic tables and I think a nature trail to the east of the ramp. I believe the cost will be about 3 million dollars for these improvements and they thought this money came from a 2018 Bond. There are no plans for a new ramp in this round of improvements and no talk about improving the ramp that is already there. Based on what I saw in the presentation during the 2025 construction the current ramp should remain accessible. The new ramp that is planned in Phase 1 is to the west of the present ramp toward the back of the cove where the fishing pier currently is but it is unclear to me how much parking will be available, or if that ramp will even accommodate motorized boats. From the Park Final Vision Plan Document drawing it looks like the parking lot is about a quarter of the present lot. When I asked those questions the Phase 1 Project Manager Reynaldo Hernandez could/would not give me an answer even though he is the "Project Manager" and should know better than anyone. He just said no ramp is planned for this round of funding. As Phase 1 moves along the plan is for the present ramp and parking lot to go away as this area will be made into a large lawn and plaza for I guess concerts, so having a decent ramp with adequate parking is going to be important if we want to maintain access to the lake. I sent a follow up email directly after the meeting to Mr. Hernandez asking for a link to the presentation (it was recorded) and some other questions regarding the funding for Phase 1 improvements but have yet to receive a response (more than 2 weeks ago). I would hate to see the lake closed to motorized boats and it become another version of Lady Bird Lake which has an electric motors only restriction and caters mainly to canoes, kayaks and paddleboards, but given the lack of responses to questions I have asked of City staff I wonder if that is where it is headed. I also have to wonder why the City can spend 3 million dollars on park "improvements" but cannot spend anything to deepen the ramp they already have while waiting for funding for a new ramp. In any case the City needs to do a much better job of answering basic questions. In the absence of transparency, we are left to form our own opinions, right or wrong.

I also sent Assistant Parks Director Liana Kallivoka the results of the Change.org petition Petition · Deepening the boat ramp at Decker Lake · Change.org to deepen the ramp on 11/14 and got no response other than attend the meeting where I was told they didn't want to talk about it. There were 90 signatures on the petition. Thank you to all that signed.

Here are email addresses of the Austin PARD staff I have dealt with thus far if you want to personally ask them why they can't fix the ramp we have now, how they intend to manage water levels with pumping to keep the ramp open, and what they are doing to make sure you have access to the lake in the future. I am afraid unless people speak up now the future of access to Decker Lake for those of us that want to use motorized boats is not a good one.

Reynaldo Hernandez - Phase 1 Walter E. Long Park Project Manager - Reynaldo.Hernandez@austintexas.gov
Liana Kallivoka - Assistant Parks Director - Liana.Kallivoka@austintexas.gov

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbrDiepcGvM

What could be done at Decker to extend the present ramp.

Extending ramps is not hard on most ramps. A prefab concrete bridge section is pushed in with a bulldozer and it sets right on the end of the existing ramp. Not all ramps can be done this way but most can be. On the decker ramp, two bridge sections laid side by side and tied together and pushed by two dozers or large loaders. First time I saw this method was at Cassell Boykens park on Sam Rayburn.

Meh...by a yak. Problem solved.

Go buy an EV, gas cars banned.
Go buy an 8oz soda, big gulps not allowed
Go get a Sling Shot, no Firearms allowed
or
Go by a yak, "im from the government and im here to help" - Reason why these are the 9 scariest words.

*buy

You can see that intelligent discussion has gone to the wayside when someone starts out a meeting with "we're not going to talk about the ramp closure."

SO, IS THE RAMP OPEN OR NOT?

Enlighten me. There are 2 ramps at Walter E. Long?

"The City appreciates everyone’s patience and understanding. Lake Walter E. Long will be monitored weekly for water elevation and re-opening of boat ramps. The Parks Department will re-open the western ramp when the water level reaches 553.9’ and the eastern ramp at 554’. As of November 30, 2023, the water elevation was at 553.55’."

Ramps are both closed. They are side by side so really only one ramp.