News Release Archive

Fourth of July Weekend Activities at New Melones Lake

Media Contact: Pete Lucero, 916 978-5100, 06/30/2011 11:48

For Release: June 30, 2011

The Bureau of Reclamation's New Melones Lake is currently at 94 percent of capacity, and the water continues to rise. Individuals planning a visit to the lake over the Fourth of July holiday weekend should keep the following in mind:

• Visitors should expect delays entering the park over the holiday weekend due to the high water levels  which limit available parking spaces.
• All campsites have been reserved.
• Boat ramp and day use parking is expected to fill up quickly in both the Glory Hole and Tuttletown recreation areas.
• Boaters should be especially careful of floating debris caused by the rising water.
• Fireworks are not permitted on any Reclamation lands, bodies of water or facilities, including recreation areas, campgrounds, day use areas and outlying areas such as Peoria Mountain, Camp 9, Natural Bridges, French Flat, Shell Road and Table Mountain.

Reclamation is offering several interpretive programs for visitors to enjoy on Saturday and Sunday, July 2-3, 2011. All activities are free of charge, suitable for all ages and do not require reservations.

Please contact the New Melones Visitor Center at 209-536-9543 for additional information:

• Saturday, July 2, 2011:
  • 9 a.m. -  Join us for a hike along the Carson Creek trail. We will identify plants, animals and insects and discuss the miners that built this trail back in the Gold Rush days. Attendees will meet at the Glory Hole Entrance Station and caravan down to the trailhead.
  • 7 p.m. -  Park Ranger George will delight visitors with his tales of miners back in the gold rush days at the Glory Hole Amphitheatre. Stay after the program and try your luck at gold panning.
• Sunday, July 3, 2011:
  • 9 a.m. -  Meet Park Ranger Casey at the corner of Shell and Rawhide Roads for a Table Mountain hike. She will discuss the geology, cultural history and flora of the area.
  • 7 p.m. -  Learn why bats are your buddies at the Glory Hole Amphitheatre through arts and crafts and a PowerPoint presentation.

New Melones interpretive programs tie into President Barack Obama's America's Great Outdoors initiative which seeks to empower Americans to share in the responsibility to conserve, restore and provide better access to our lands and waters and leave a healthy, vibrant outdoor legacy for generations to come.

Ranger-led hikes at New Melones also follow First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative which is dedicated to solving the problem of obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up healthier and able to pursue their dreams. And where better for the public to appreciate and enjoy the great outdoors than at a Reclamation facility such as New Melones Lake?

The New Melones Visitor Center and Museum, managed by Reclamation's Central California Area Office, is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information on activities or for directions, pet restrictions or other questions, please call 209-536-9543 (TTY 800-877-8339) or visit the New Melones Lake website. 

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The Bureau of Reclamation is a federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior and is the nation's largest wholesale water supplier and second largest producer of hydroelectric power. Our facilities also provide substantial flood control, recreation opportunities, and environmental benefits. Visit our website at https://www.usbr.gov and follow us on Twitter @USBR; Facebook @bureau.of.reclamation; LinkedIn @Bureau of Reclamation; Instagram @bureau_of_reclamation; and YouTube @reclamation.