MIKE HEADRICK

Locked out: Fishermen upset by new gate at Pineview Reservoir

May 4, 2022, 10:36 PM | Updated: Jun 19, 2022, 9:57 pm

EDEN, Utah — The pandemic brought an explosion of Utahns wanting to get outside and enjoy its beautiful public spaces.  

It was especially true at Pineview Reservoir, which saw a 40% increase in use in 2020 compared with 2019.  

The thought of those crowds pushed Mike Nielsen and Hal Lee to fish Pineview in any season but summer.  

“Right now, is the magic time to catch big fish,” Lee told KSL in April, “and there’s no trouble with power boats and the number of people that come in.”  

But unlike years past, something stood in the way of hooking a big one: A newly installed gate at the popular Port Ramp boat launch area.  

“This reservoir has never been locked up,” lamented Nielsen. “They’ve always provided access to this reservoir year-round.

“Without a ramp, I can’t put my boat in the water, and without my boat in the water, I can’t catch a fish,” said Lee.

Both told KSL Investigators they’d reached out to the U.S. Forest Service, which manages Pineview, and were told the closure was due partly to vandalism.  

Lee wasn’t so sure that reason justified closure to everyone.  

“There are much more clever, nimble ways to do management than this,” he said. 

“It looks like they don’t want to have us up here,” said Nielsen of the seasonal closure decision.

But the Forest Service told us the seasonal closure is only temporary. 

Sean Harwood, district ranger of the Ogden district for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, said they look forward to welcoming recreators back year-round.  

“They’ve used it as a year-round recreation site and we want to keep it that way,” said Harwood.  

Starting this winter, Harwood told us folks will have access to Pineview through Anderson Cove, a location that hasn’t typically been open in the off-season.  

“It has a boat ramp,” Harwood explained. “Plus we’ll have winter activities in the campground over there: fat biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing.”
 
Year-round access to Port Ramp will take longer. Harwood estimated it will open back up for off-season recreation in three to five years.  

Last summer, KSL Investigators found many updates and improvements need to be made at Pineview to keep up with demand for its facilities.  

Sidewalks crumbling, concrete cinderblocks submerged in shallow water, and a rough ramp were all complaints made to KSL Investigators.  

Vandals have not helped. Harwood showed us a brand-new section of fence at a boatyard that had been forcibly pulled out in recent months.

All that’s changing, thanks to a multimillion-dollar grant from the Great American Outdoors Act. The first project will be the Cemetery Point stabilization project.  

“It’s eroding away at the point itself, and so this summer, we have a contractor coming in and fixing those washouts.” 

Harwood said they’ve also purchased new docks for Port Ramp that will be anchored and installed sometime this summer.  

“They just showed up late last fall,” said Harwood. “Another reason for the gate, we didn’t want anybody messing with the new equipment.” 

Harwood told us there are five priority sites for renovation: Port Ramp, Windsurfer/South Skyline Trailhead, Pelican Beach, Spring Creek and Quist.  

“These are major improvements,” Harwood said of the coming changes. “These are major reconfigurations of these sites, and so it’s going to take some time.”  

A major reconfiguration coming will include creating a road to reroute traffic off state Route 158, which tends to bottleneck vehicles in busy months.
 
The U.S. Forest Service is working in conjunction with Weber County to design a much more user-friendly experience at Port Ramp, and the design is only about 30% complete

One major reason for the redesign: protecting Pineview from invasive Quagga mussels.  

 “The infestation is a serious issue,” said Harwood. 

It was one of the reasons the Forest Service decided to turn Pineview into a day use area, which will be open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.  

Lee and Nielsen had concerns about that.  

“It’s the overnight boat camping Mecca of the world,” enthused Nielsen. “They sleep on their boats, they tie them together. As the sun’s coming up, you can see a string of 20 boats tied together. And now, they’re not going to be able to do that either with the gate.”  

Harwood assured us overnight camping will still be possible. One of the improvements will be an exit-only access with a tire shredder so those wanting to stay on the lake a little longer won’t be locked in after 10 p.m. The gate will be locked for entry until the following morning.
 
“What they’ve been asking for, for years, improvements in the sites and everything else, it’s coming,” explained Harwood. “The growing pains with change can be tough. But it’s going to be a lot better when it’s finished.” 

The gate at Port Ramp is now unlocked. Pineview Reservoir opened for the season on April 29.  

For more information regarding Pineview renovations, visit the U.S. Forest Service’s website 

Pineview Reservoir is managed by a contracted concessionaire, Utah Recreation Company


Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.

KSL 5 TV Live

Mike Headrick

Hopes that were lost as part of a land collapse. (KSL TV/Chopper 5)...

Mike Headrick and Cindy St. Clair

Draper City: Building laws make it hard to say ‘no’ to risky development

The question was posed to KSL Investigators — how could Draper City allow development on hazardous land? It turns out, saying “no” is a difficult option.

11 months ago

Seth Warren's Polaris RZR sat for months waiting on the recall repair. (Tanner Siegworth/KSL TV)...

Mike Headrick and Cindy St. Clair

Recreational Risk: Polaris RZR owners waiting months for recall fixes

Utahns reached out to KSL Investigators, frustrated they were paying for recalled recreational vehicles they could not use, as they waited months for a fix. KSL Investigator Mike Headrick looks at what’s holding up these safety repairs.

11 months ago

Chris and Connie Brosky show Mike Headrick around their Bluffdale home. (Josh Szymanik/KSL TV)...

Mike Headrick and Cindy St. Clair

Cracking, sinking, falling apart: KSL Investigates structural issues in multiple new homes

While Utah continues to chip away at the housing shortage, some new homeowners are dealing with cracking walls and sinking foundations. KSL Investigators dug for answers on why it keeps happening.

12 months ago

Cars with tickets on windows...

Mike Headrick & Cindy St. Clair

Citations or warnings? KSL Investigators find a mixed bag of winter parking enforcement

The KSL Investigators dug into the data to see which cities are writing the tickets, and which are not.

1 year ago

...

Mike Headrick and Cindy St. Clair, KSL TV

Shattered glass. Holes in walls. South Jordan man sues city for wrecking his home

How important is a single signature on a legal document? A South Jordan homeowner claims the wrong signature ended with firefighters causing significant damage to his house.

1 year ago

...

Mike Headrick and Cindy St. Clair, KSL TV

Newly built homes deemed unlivable due to sliding soil

If you want to know what a sinking home sounds like, just ask Eric and Carole Kamradt.

1 year ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Locked out: Fishermen upset by new gate at Pineview Reservoir