Rep. McCormick: Corp of Engineers closures reduced at Lake Lanier

(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Rick McCormick, R-Ga., said 11 Lake Lanier boat ramps managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will remain open, reducing the number of recreational area closures announced Wednesday.

The Corps of Engineers Mobile District initially said 31 recreational sites would shutter because of staffing shortages, 21 of them on northeast Georgia’s Lake Lanier.

“I spoke with the U.S. Army Corps today about the planned closures at Lake Lanier. I pushed hard for a better solution, and they listened,” McCormick said in a post on X. “All boat ramps will remain open, and only 11 recreation sites will close temporarily, not the 21 originally planned.”

The Corp of Engineers did not immediately return multiple messages from The Center Square regarding the reason for the closures. A public affairs phone number for the Mobile district listed online was not operable.

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, R-Ga., blamed the staffing shortages on President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency.

“Trump and Elon’s DOGE cuts are forcing Georgia parks to indefinitely close right before a holiday weekend,” Warnock said in a post on X. “Enough is enough with these reckless cuts. Georgia families deserve better.”

State Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, said Warnock was wrong.

“When @RichforGA (U.S. Rep. Rick McCormick) and I spoke with the Corps today, they said ‘this is not about money,’” Dolezal said on X. “Warnock might know this if he bothered to put down the keyboard, pick up the phone, and advocate for his constituents like we did.”

The Corps of Engineers manages 400 lake and river projects in 43 states, according to its website. Other districts are also experiencing closures and limited services. The agency has a map that shows what areas are open and which are closed.