Boat ramp gate at Weatherford lake

Launched my boat to do some fishing at Weatherford today and noticed that they put up a gate at the boat ramp to close it off. My first thought was I wonder if they lock the gate at a certain time so I paid my launch fee and asked the marina employee what time the gate would close. I was told 930 so I made it a point to be in before that time. I pulled in to the marina at 820 and found the gate closed and locked preventing me from loading my boat. Ofcoarse the marina is closed and no one around to open it for us. There's a number on the gate to call in case of accidental lock and and it goes strait to the Weatherford police department. I get the police department on the phone and they have no idea what I'm talking about so now there's an officer on the way and I'm still stuck with my boat in the water.

Well that's unfortunate.

I would like to what the point of this is...

I guess the point is you can get locked in at weatherford

That sucks

I was told that they are worried about Zebra Mussels from traveling boats. You get the combination if you have a season long ramp pass.

Doesn't really make sense to me but it's a City owned ramp and you know how that works. More big brother looking after for us!

It's not right that they gave you a time and then didn't stick to it!

If that's the reason they are ignorant... What does a gate after dark do for preventing mussels?

Sounds like an overuse of power

Are you sure it's a city owned ramp. I have to pay the marina to launch. The marina also has maintained the ramp.

Yes the City owns the property and leases the marina to an individual. This was a City decision and the marina operator has to go along with it.

It sounds like the city is afraid they may lose a 5$ launch fee.

Seriously??

Why would they do this??

Can this even be legal? Doesn't public access have to be available since Parks and Wildlife stocks the lake?

Guess it's time to start launching from the dirt point again.

Kinda what I was thinking!

Police never showed last night instead they forwarded the message to the city after 45 mins a city water utility employee showed up and opened the gate. He said he was in milsap when they dispatched him out so I hope no one has an emergency or needs to leave in a hurry cause there's no telling how long you may wait. I see this as a safety concern what If there's bad weather moving in or an accident on the water?

Did the person that locked the gate not see a truck and trailer? That would be a tip off of an issue.

How about they post the hours of operation on the gate?

That's an idea, but your dealing with weatherford and they aren't in the good idea business.

The facebook page for marina says they are open till 9pm.

Bolt cutters.

How about 300 of us go launch and then individually call the number every 10 minutes after they open and re-lock the gate.

X 2 on the bolt cutters, they will get tired of buying locks.

Had the same issue after a cat fishing night. We said f#@k it, helped ourselves and docked the boat in the private boat slips, showed up the next day and "in a nice way" had them let us on the slips to load the boat up. We were never told a time instead given a gate code with our pass "which it didn't work either"

I figure that since the after hours call in to the city worker is probably a 4 hour minimum call in. After a few times the city will make them keep it open