Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 | 10:29 a.m.
Barb Henderson is an outdoors enthusiast, freelance writer and producer/host of outdoors radio television programming. Her column appears Friday in the Sun.
On Oct. 8, 1964, Congress designated Lake Mead National Recreation Area as this nation's first national recreation area within the National Park Service system.
With a multitude of recreational activities to enjoy at the lake, the sport of boating and fishing was at the top of the list.
According to William K. Dickinson, Superintendent Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the top five outdoor recreational opportunities enjoyed at Lake Mead are boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and camping.
"Boating is obviously a year-round activity," Dickinson said, "but more prevalent in the prime boating season May-September. The off-season for boaters is one of the more spectacular times to visit Lakes Mead and Mohave and enjoy the scenery.
"There is no waiting at the launch facilities and it feels as though you have the entire lake to yourself. This includes boating of all kinds -- sailing, skiing, PWC use, fishing from a boat, houseboating, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing and rafting."
There are fishing tournaments and anglers fishing at the lakes all year. Anglers fishing from shore or from a boat have an opportunity of hooking on a variety of fish including crappie, bluegill, catfish, largemouth bass, striped bass and rainbow trout.
There are a total of nine marinas on Lakes Mead and Mohave, with fish cleaning stations located on the launch ramps and/or parking areas at Hemenway Harbor, LV Bay, Temple Bar, Callville Bay, Echo Bay, Overton Beach, Cottonwood Cove, Willow Beach and Katherine Landing.
With the water level currently at 1,142 feet, boaters need to use caution when launching from any of the nine marinas located within the LMNRA.
Boating and fishing is a national pastime too.
"The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) estimates that there are approximately 30 million to 35 million Americans who fish from a boat during any given year and between 60 and 80 percent of all boaters will eventually fish from their boat at some point," said Bruce Matthews, President of RBFF.
The RBFF is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to increase participation in recreational angling and boating and thereby increase public awareness and appreciation of the need for protecting, conserving and restoring this nation's aquatic natural resources. For more information on RBFF, click on the Internet at www.waterworkswonders.org.
Interestingly, there are 33,441 registered boaters in Clark County with a total of 60,211 statewide.
"Fishing from a boat carries all the same safety requirements as any other boating activity," said NDOW's boating safety educator, Edwin Lyngar. "You must have life jackets and a fire extinguisher, among other equipment, and you must obey all the other safety and navigation rules as other boaters.
"Since you have more equipment when you are fishing, boaters who fish should be very careful not to overload their boats. Distribute fishing gear evenly in the boat, and make sure you don't exceed your boats weight capacity."
For more information on boating in Nevada, click on the Internet at www.boatnevada.org
With between 8 million and 10 million annual visitors, Lake Mead is the fifth- most visited park within the 388-unit National Park System.
Lake Mead National Recreation Area stretches along nearly 140 miles of the old Colorado River channel between Nevada and Arizona. It includes both Lake Mead, created by Hoover Dam, and Lake Mohave, created by Davis Dam. The lakes have a combined shoreline of almost 1,000 miles.
To discover more about the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, click on the Internet at www.nps.gov/lame or call the Lake Mead Visitor's Center at 293-8990.
DU conserves, restores and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call 255-8100.
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