U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District announces phased reopening of recreation facilities, campsites

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District
Published May 6, 2020

FORT WORTH, Texas – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth District will begin a phased re-opening of USACE recreation areas that were closed due to COVID-19.

The decision to re-open is specific to each recreation area and is based largely on the safety of our staff and visitors. All visitors should contact the lake project office for specific site openings or view the latest facility status at https://www.swf-wc.usace.army.mil/lake/lakefacilities.htm.

The Fort Worth District will reopen day use areas beginning May 7. While day use areas will be open, playgrounds and group shelter areas will remain closed until further notice. Campsites will be available for reservations no later than June 1.  Campground reservations must be made in advance at www.recreation.gov.  Please review reservation availability on the website periodically as reservations may become available prior to June 1.

“The health of our team and the community is our top priority,” said Col. Kenneth N. Reed, USACE Fort Worth District commander. “Protecting our team includes mitigating the spread of the virus and ensuring personnel have the most up-to-date information on appropriate measures to prevent potential spread of COVID-19.”

Social distancing and other restrictions required by local, state and federal authorities to include the Centers for Disease Control will be in place at these facilities. Current guidance provided by the CDC can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/parks-rec/index.html. If these restrictions and guidelines are not followed, recreation areas could be forced to close again.

Visitors should also note:

  • Many USACE sponsored events, tournaments, volunteer activities and public meetings remain cancelled until further notice.
  • Visitor centers and lake offices remain closed to the public until further notice.
  • Group shelters, pavilions, courts, and playgrounds are not available until further notice.
  • Shoreline management activities including one-on-one contacts that require USACE personnel to make a site visit or inspection may proceed consistent with social distancing guidelines established by CDC, DOD, state and local direction.
  • Restroom facilities are cleaned on a scheduled basis, but cannot be considered as sanitized with respect to COVID-19.

Visitors are encouraged to visit the Fort Worth District webpage www.swf.usace.army.mil for the latest information, or call the local lake office (https://www.swf.usace.army.mil/About/Lakes-and-Recreation-Information/) for current conditions before traveling to the lake. A complete list of USACE recreation areas with contact information is available at www.CorpsLakes.us. You may also visit www.recreation.gov to determine the status of campgrounds that are on the reservation system.  

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Visit the Fort Worth District Web site at: www.swf.usace.army.mil and social media at: https://about.me/usacefortworth


Contact
Clay Church
817-886-1314
clayton.a.church@usace.army.mil
819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth TX 76102
or
Rhonda Paige
817-886-1312
rhonda.k.paige@usace.army.mil
819 Taylor Street, Fort Worth TX 76102

Release no. 20-025