City closes South Lake Tahoe boat ramp

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Due to a recent spike in COVID-19 cases and a significant increase in visitation to the Lake Tahoe Basin over the last few weeks, the City of South Lake Tahoe has made the decision to close its boat ramp at El Dorado Beach to re-assess their operations there.

“The priority of the safety of our residents, visitors, and staff always comes first,” said South Lake Tahoe City Manager Joe Irvin, “While we’d like to keep them open, this move is being taken out of an abundance of caution.”

Staff had been manning the ramp for weeks, including over the holiday weekend where there was an influx of people in the water.

“Our staff has taken all the necessary precautions including wearing proper protective equipment and using the proper sanitizing methods to stay safe, but at this time we feel we need to do more,” said Irvin.

This move does not affect other boat ramps in South Lake Tahoe, just the one they control. The South Lake Tahoe Recreation Center is currently closed due to construction on the pool siding and will reopen once those fixes are completed. The City-owned Bijou Golf Course will not open this season.

Throughout the pandemic, the City of South Lake Tahoe has asked everyone to follow state and county orders, wear a mask, and make sure they are also using proper sanitizing procedures.