The National Park Service is revamping the image of reservoir/lake Meredith due to the decreasing water levels and the now almost completely dried up lake bed.  Where there was once boats and jet-skis gassing up at the marina, there are now 4-wheelers and dirt-bikes gassing up and using the dried up lake bed as an off-road area.  So the plan, go ahead and give the people what they want!

If people are now going to Lake Meredith for off-road adventures, why not give them more of it and turn lemons into lemonade?

I think it's a brilliant idea!  The drought has affected the economy of Fritch, TX because people don't take trips to Lake Meredith like they used to due to the low water levels.  So "off road" just might be the answer here!

"Fritch City Manager Bobby Lamb says "At one time there were boats at our gas stations.  Now it’s 4-wheelers and ATVs."

Off road vehicles are making a big impact on the Rosita Campground on the Canadian River and at Blue Creek at Lake Meredith.

U.S. Park Ranger Paul Jones says, "If you’re coming into Rosita or Blue Creek, there’s a traffic counter just for that traffic.  So the off highway vehicle traffic over the last ten years has increased.  It’s actually doubled."

The National Park Service is in the stages of taking Lake Meredith from lake to "off-road use area" right now and are laying out the required plan to make the changes.

The plan is to utilize what people are already doing by making it an official off-road area is being taken even further by the National Park Service.  As hiking, biking and horse back trails are planned to be built.

Park Ranger Lamb says, "I'm hoping they can get it done quickly, our business should grow and expand from this adventure they're doing at the park service".

I gotta admit, when I drive through Fritch, I always stop by the lake to see how low the water is, and it breaks my heart to see the levels so drastically low.  Seeing what used to be a place where you could go to "Sandy Beaches" and have a blast, but it's now just a dried up uninhabited area.

This new change could be exactly what needs to be done!  Let's face it, the odds of it filling back up are slim to none, so turning it into a place for ATV's to go off-roading and people to go hiking or horse back riding on trails, that's some sweet action!  Finally, I can go somewhere I don't have to deal with thousands of drunk people!  I love going to "the river" don't get me wrong, but if I can go somewhere else that is policed a little better with way less drunk idiots fighting and causing accidents, I'm all about it!

 

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