Lingering winter prompts delayed Lake Ashtabula campground opening

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, will delay opening its camping facilities at Lake Ashtabula, near Valley City, N.D., until Friday, May 10, weather permitting.

The decision to delay the campground opening is due to the snowpack lingering into late April and no significant melting forecast for the next 10 days. The campgrounds were scheduled to open May 1, but the snowpack is preventing access to the majority of the camping facilities. Campgrounds impacted include East Ashtabula Crossing, West Ashtabula Crossing, Eggert’s Landing and Mel Rieman Recreation Area. The Corps’ current plan is to open these facilities May 10, but this date may change depending upon future weather conditions. 

For further information on the camping/recreation situation at Lake Ashtabula, please contact the Lake Ashtabula Project office at (701) 845-2970 or visit recreation.gov to reserve your next camping vacation.

The St. Paul District operates 49 recreation areas, ranging from public landings along the Mississippi River to lock and dam visitor centers to full-service campgrounds. These recreation areas are an important component of the region’s tourism industry, and the impact on the local and regional economies is significant. Recent data shows an estimated 8.7 million visitors use district recreational sites each year and spend approximately $239 million, of which $165 million was captured in the local economy, generating $235 million in total sales and supporting an estimated 3,060 jobs.

The nearly 700 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, employees working at more than 40 sites in five upper-Midwest states serve the American public in the areas of environmental enhancement, navigation, flood damage reduction, water and wetlands regulation, recreation sites and disaster response. Through the Corps’ Fiscal Year 2011 $175 million budget, nearly 2,800 non-Corps jobs were added to the regional economy as well as $271 million to the national economy. For more information, see www.mvp.usace.army.mil.

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