Crowds changing course due to low water levels at Cheney

Yahoo

24-05-2025

EL DORADO, Kan. (KSNW) — Several thousand people are expected at El Dorado State Park this weekend. Boating is a big draw ahead of Memorial Day. A park ranger tells KSN what he's doing to keep people safe on the water and why El Dorado State Park is so popular.
Right now at Cheney Lake, the water level is just under 8 feet below normal. Several campers KSN spoke to say it's the reason they go to El Dorado State Park.
Showers and storms through the holiday weekend
With Cheney's level so low, Park Ranger Michael Hammer says he's expecting a lot more people.
'I know the game wardens are planning on doing water patrol tomorrow, … Sunday and Monday as well,' said Hammer.
Many residents like Paige Green from Derby, who come from all over south central Kansas, are at the park already.
'We camp out here pretty regularly on holiday weekends, said Paige. 'We have a boat out here, all of our friends are out here, so it's just a good place to hang out.'
For some, being out on the water is a tradition.
'We've been doing this a long time, it's a tradition that our parents started,' said Paige. 'Our parents have been doing this since we were little,' said Chase Green.
Lake goers like Chase and Paige, who usually go to Cheney, are changing course.
'We live about two and a half miles from Cheney reservoir, so the lake's pretty low and their reservoir is pretty low, and we come out here just because we enjoy the environment, and the lake is a little higher,' said Greg Metzen.
Hammer says the trend for people coming to El Dorado came early.
'It already kind of started at the end of last season. I've talked to campers, and they would say that they were normally out of Cheney this time of year, but with it being so low, they decided to come out here instead,' said Hammer.
Many lake goers are ready for a safe and fun holiday weekend.
'Anybody that takes any kind of boating class would be, you know, told that so and they do have the Department of Wildlife and Parks people that come out and patrol that out here in El Dorado, which makes you feel a little safer,' said Metzen.
The park ranger says law enforcement will step up patrols in and around the campgrounds.
He urges parents to make sure their little ones are paying attention to the streets and looking both ways, as campers can get big, which can cause low visibility between them.
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