Cuts impact Rend, Carlyle, Shelbyville lakes

Federal budget cuts are expected to have an impact on programs at three major Downstate reservoirs.

Due to declining budgets within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, impacts will be felt at Lake Shelbyville, Rend Lake and Carlyle Lake.

Camping availability will be scaled back as will mowing, trash pickup and staffing at visitor’s centers.

Rod Kloeckner of The Belleville News-Democrat reports that at Carlyle Lake:

“Several prime campgrounds will open on time but close early. The hardest hit is the Coles Creek Recreation Area, which will open May 1 and close July 7. Normally the area—which includes the campground, beach, day-use area, boat ramp and Lotus Group Use area—remains open into October. Three other campgrounds—Dam West (which opens April 1), Boulder (April 15) and McNair (May 1)—will close Sept. 2 following the Labor Day holiday.”

Click here to read the entire News-Democrat story.

At Rend Lake, the South Marcum Campground, the North Sandusky and North Marcum Day Use area will be closed all season. Click here to read the Southern Illinoisan’s story on this subject, which notes that Rend’s Fiscal Year 2008 budget was cut by $615,000.

According to the Southern Illinoisan:

“The Corps will also shorten the season and/or reduce services for other areas. For instance, South Sandusky beach will open two weeks later than usual and close two weeks earlier than usual while reduced service levels will affect Gun Creek, North Sandusky and South Sandusky campgrounds.

The Rend Lake Visitors Center will also have reduced hours. Plans call for the center to open only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during peak season. Saturday environmental education and evening entertainment are canceled for the season as well.”

Campgrounds will not close at Lake Shelbyville, but some services will be reduced.

“We have worked with flat, to slightly declining budget numbers for several years,” St. Louis Operations Chief Peggy O’Bryan said in a press release. “We identified economies and deferred maintenance to continue to support the recreation program, but while funding has remained flat, each year there have been small, but accumulating increases in salaries as well as costs of contracted services and supplies. Some items like utilities and fuels have doubled and tripled through this period.”