Boat Ramps Close as Water Level Drops

Officials have closed off half of the boat ramps at Mecklenburg County's two lakeside parks because of low water levels in Lake Norman, and said that more could be shut down if levels continue to fall.

Four of the six boat ramps at Huntersville's Blythe Landing and one of four ramps at Cornelius' Ramsey Creek Park were ordered closed by Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation officials on Aug. 24.

According to a spokesman for the Parks and Recreation Department, the closured were forced by the lower-than-usual water levels in Lake Norman. A extreme drought has dropped those levels to 94.7 feet, 3.3 feet below normal for August and 5.3 feet below full pond.

See this week's Lake Norman Times for more of this story.