Higher water forces Coralville Lake boaters to launch from one ramp

Alex Kron is happy to bring out the boat he said he bought a week ago to a place he knows all too well.

“It's usually busy,” said Kron, of Iowa City, as he backed up his trailer to the Mehaffey Boat Ramp late Friday afternoon. “We were expecting a bit more traffic this weekend.”

Because of the higher water throughout the Coralville Reservoir, the beaches near the dam are closed and the Mehaffey ramp is the only public launch open to get a boat into the water. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the Friday lake level at Coralville Lake was 704.0 feet, eight feet below the spillway crest. The corps reported, in a release, they expect the lake to peak near 705.5 feet on July 9.

With only one option for boaters, it's a simple process for those pulling their trucks and watercraft. Pull up to the pay box, drop in three dollars for the day and hope you can find a place to park.

“We expected long lines by the time we got here but we're getting right in,” said Kelly Meyer, of Solon, who said she usually launches from a private ramp.

For people out on the water throughout Friday, they reported some busy patches and some rough water but, for the most part, a day they expect to be much less crowded than this weekend.

“Nope, not too crowded,” said Allia Janning, of Coon Rapids, who was on a boat with four other people. “Today is a lot quieter than Saturdays are.”

Kron, as a veteran of the lake, said he is “worried” about safety this weekend as more people will fill the Mehaffey parking lot.

“You see people who don't know what they are doing, they're dragging their props,” said Kron. “People who drink too much but that can be avoided by people being smart and not drinking.”