Bear Creek boat ramp closed

JEFFERSON - The boat ramp and dock at Bear Creek Reservoir has been closed because the water level has fallen about 4 feet below full pool.

Ricky Sanders, director of the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department, says boat ramp attendants have been spending much of their time helping boaters whose boats and trailers became stuck in the gravel at the end of the ramp.

Sanders says the closure coincides with what a slow period at the ramp, since many anglers are calling off fishing trips because of the high temperatures.

Bear Creek Reservoir is a major source of drinking water for Jackson, Barrow and Oconee counties and a backup source for Clarke County.