The Wedding of the Waters access area, a popular boat ramp and public access point to the Bighorn River near Thermopolis, will be closed July 11-15 to receive much needed improvements.
Brad Sorensen, Cody Region Habitat and Access supervisor said the Wyoming Game and Fish Department plans to improve the site by doubling the amount of parking area for boaters, anglers and other recreation users. “Expansion of the parking lot is long overdue and is needed to prevent folks from parking off of the existing paved parking area, which has led to resource damage in recent years. There is also a serious safety concern when folks are forced to park on the highway due to a lack of space in the existing lot,” Sorensen said.
Wedding of the Waters is one of the most highly used public access areas in the Bighorn Basin. “Currently, the parking lot is too small to accommodate the amount of use it is getting,” Sorensen said. “The safest and most efficient way to expand the parking area is to temporarily close the site so we can work as quickly as possible to get the access site back open.”
Sorensen said while the Game and Fish Habitat and Access crew will conduct the work for the project, the materials will be donated by Cody based sportsman group, Wyoming Outdoorsmen. “We appreciate the contribution to this project made by local sportsmen,” Sorensen said.
Cody Region Fisheries Supervisor Sam Hochhalter said anglers wanting to access the Bighorn have other options. “There are a handful of boat ramps and walk-in fishing access sites downstream of Thermopolis that offer quality fishing and floating opportunities. People interested in float fishing the Bighorn River during this week are encouraged to download the alternative access map from the Game and Fish website,” Hochhalter said.
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