News Release Archive

Reclamation selects concessionaire for New Melones Lake marina business opportunity

Media Contact: Erin Curtis, 916-978-5112, eccurtis@usbr.gov

For Release: September 21, 2018

Sonora, Calif. – The Bureau of Reclamation selected today New Melones Lake Marina, LLC, to develop and operate the Glory Hole Marina at New Melones Lake. Reclamation and New Melones Lake Marina, LLC, will now begin negotiations to execute a long-term concession contract.

The business opportunity to develop and operate the marina and associated facilities for a 25-year term was advertised on June 5 and closed on July 23. Reclamation will announce the executed contract following completed negotiations.

The selected proposal from New Melones Lake Marina, LLC, promises to provide quality facilities and visitor services. The marina is readily accessible to millions of potential visitors. It is within a three-hour drive of San Francisco, Sacramento and other large population centers. The location, environment, scenic vistas, multitude of outdoor recreation opportunities and proximity to other tourist destinations, including the Sierra foothills, make this a desirable location for land and water-based commercial recreation services.

New Melones is the fifth largest reservoir in California and the latest major project incorporated into the Central Valley Project. Completed in 1979, New Melones dam holds water from the Stanislaus and other tributaries within a 980-square-mile watershed. The project area includes the reservoir (12,500 acres) and surrounding project lands. The project provides flood control protection, municipal and irrigation water supplies, generates hydropower, recreation, water quality, and fish and wildlife enhancement.

New Melones Reservoir offers year-round recreation opportunities for boating and water sports, fishing, camping, picnicking, hiking, wildlife viewing and sightseeing. Popular Reclamation-operated recreation facilities include camp sites, day use areas, a visitor center, launch ramps, hiking trails, and dispersed lake access sites.

For additional information, please contact Jonathan Friedman, Chief, Recreation Resources Division, Central California Area Office, at 916-537-7080 (TTY 800-877-8339), jfriedman@usbr.gov, or fax 916-537-7035.

# # #

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.