New boat launch ramp at Windy Point

[cyklon_300]

Did a dive there today and there is a freshly graded and signed area for a boat ramp right thru the middle of the swim beach at Windy Point.

I asked a park ranger 'sup wid dat, and he says that the owner of the scuba park next door has established an easement and that there is a large contingent of attorneys involved...

Anyone have any more details on this? Is this to be a permanent feature or just something temporary...??

 

[Dee]

You mean right next door to Richard Barstow's private Windy Point? A boat ramp right next door to a training area is an interesting idea....NOT!

There's been 'discussions' going on for years between Barstow and the city over that public park and it's visitors. Guess the lawyers are gonna get rich over it.

Please pass along any info you find and we'll do the same.

 

[JohnStrr]

Well that's just plain dumb. Not only are there numerous boat ramps around the area already (one at Bob Wentz about a half mile away), that main road dosen't need that kind of trailer traffic being as windy as it is, they're gonna ruin what vis there was and destroy his business, and it's beyond dangerous for a ramp to be anywhere close to swimmers or divers. Does the first diver to get their head split open by a prop get to say "I told you so"? No, Bob Wentz is gonna roll in his grave (I assume he's dead).

 

[scubafanatic]

...did my AOW @ Windy Point a couple months ago......thought it might be cool to plan a return visit........but now I think I'll just stay in the DFW area and dive locally...or drive a little further south and dive Aquarena Springs.......boats and divers (especially students) DO NOT MIX !!!!

Is it part of a conspiracy to kill off Windy Point scuba...that's exactly what's gonna happen....no sane shop will risk taking classes there anymore.


Karl

 

[Teknadv3x]

Sounds par for the course, considering all the wonderful scuba-friendly modifications they did over at the mansfield side. I have come to conclusion the lake project planner must be a
boat owner/scuba diver hater. Just my 2cents.

 

[Todd]

Greatings fellow swampers:

cyklon_300 once bubbled...
Did a dive there today and there is a freshly graded and signed area for a boat ramp right thru the middle of the swim beach at Windy Point.

I asked a park ranger 'sup wid dat, and he says that the owner of the scuba park next door has established an easement and that there is a large contingent of attorneys involved...

Not sure how this pertains, but I had a conversation with Richard a while back and he mentioned something about renting jet skis in the future.

Could the two be related?

Thoughts?

Todd.

 

[Godaddyoh]

Hi all, I'm Richard from Windy Point Park. If I may, I would like to lay this rumor into facts in as short a message as possible.

1st. We did not "establish an easement" across the neighboring County/LCRA park. It was granted in the 1950's. We did win a court battle to use it that was settled in 1987. (The lawyers are already rich.) That use includes launching boats of any type at any location where the waters of Lake Travis touch the LCRA land. The county and the LCRA by their own discretion are forcing us to use a location that we have argue is the worst place to launch from their shoreline. We are trying to stir local TV troubleshooters to take notice.

2. The ramp is located around the Southern end of the LCRA park. and is not open to the public. It is built at taxpayers expense solely for our use. (did I say dumb earlier?). Likely it will not generate a lot of new trailer traffic through our winding road.

3. It is true, we are now renting Jet Skis and launching them from the location where we are forced to launch. It does not in any way affect the diving, swimming corridor along our shoreline dive park area. That area is still buoyed and protected from the boat traffic. Likely you will never notice them at all as the launch is somewhat remote from my property line and the no wake corridor extends directly towards the dam.

4. You may use my private launch through the neighbors park without paying there fees. Just ask us. We don't yet have a firm policy about launching but likely will let you launch free as long as you are a guest of our park.

Thanks for your time. Any questions can be sent to me directly at richard@windypointpark.com

 

[Godaddyoh]

PS: We have a newly certified diver in our state government office. Governor Perry was here last week and is now an Open Water diver certified through a local SSI store.

 

[Dee]

Thanks Richard for clearing that up before the rumor got worse. I'm not sure I understand just where you'll be launching the jetski's from and it WILL be distracting having to hear the sound of them...topside as well as underwater. We'll have to come see for ourselves what you're talking about but the topside noise alone will probably keep us away.

It's nice to know you're thinking of divers safety, as always.

 

[Godaddyoh]

The location of the launch is along the Southeast facing shoreline in the LCRA/County park next door. You cannot see it from our shoreline even if you swim offshore aways.

We only rent the newest technological watercraft. All our boats use 4 stroke engines. They are the quietest and most environmentally sensitive machines available on the market today. We've been renting them for three months now and no one seems to have noticed them yet.

The only people who will be offended are the county's park users. That being said I do hope you will come to see for selves.

If I may expand on the issue. Note that the first post in this thread has the Park Ranger suggesting that we are to blame for the launch being placed in the prime swim area on the peninsula. Nothing could be further from the truth. We vehemently oppose using that launch location. We believe the County and LCRA are hoping to force a conflict there. Perhaps even hoping for an accident. They refuse to enforce a state law to keep swimmers away from the boat ramp while forcing us to launch among them. (someone else said conspiracy in this thread.) We are actively seeking a TV news investigator.

Sorry if I begin to go on. This thread is about the ramp and it's impact to the area and not about the politics surrounding it.

Richard