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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000][size 3]TubeDude brought up some issues at Willard Bay on another thread yesterday. I sent an email to the Parks address yesterday addressing those issues and received a reply this morning from Mr. Wayne Monroe, the Willard Bay State Park Manager. I thanked him for the reply and told him I would pass it along to other interested folks. Here is his response:[/size][/#800000][/font]
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Quote:[font "Calibri"][size 3]Thanks for your interest in Willard Bay. Last year we kept the South Marina open for the public for two reasons one by request from the public and two because we were generating revenues from the campground though the pipeline crews. The agreement was that we would keep it open as a trial run to see how much revenue would be generated from dayuse customers. We were unable to generate sufficient funds to justify keeping the area open to the public. The cost to keep it open, far exceeded the margin of return to the State. For that reason we will not be keeping the South Marina open during the off season. The North Marina is open for public use. The entrance fee is $10. The facilities that are available to the public are the ramp, picnic tables and areas near wiper cove. The Cottonwood campground is open for camping. There is an open restroom there for public use. There were signs on the bathroom doors to direct them to the campground restrooms. I will follow up and make sure that they are still posted on the bathroom doors. I understand your concerns on fees. We offer two options to off-set that cost. To those who frequent the state parks throughout the year we offer a State Parks Pass for $75. You can get this pass from our office building, on line or at any other State Park. This is good for dayuse at all of the state parks. The second option at Willard is our three dollar access to the North Dike. We also have our fishing access points around the lake that
are free to the public near the Harold Crane area, the freeway bay access and the Willard Spur. I hope this helps to resolve your concerns.[/size][/font]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
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I doubt that they figured all the annual passes into the overall money generated. That seems to me like an unfair way to go about a trial run. I bet more than half the ice fishermen that fished the bay last year did indeed have an annual state park pass. If they did figure it into the whole equation than my foot is in my mouth.[fishin]
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I don't think they did because I talked to Wayne about getting it opened up last winter, then talked to him again this spring and he was not aware that anyone even used it based on the money received. I told him, I and several others used it last winter and every time I was there, there were several people fishing. I pointed out, that a lot of us have state parks pass but I think the only reason he allowed it to remain open last winter was because they were working on the upgrade to the camping area. Oh well, it was nice to have it open last season.
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Years ago, when I was young and energetic I would hike into the south marina from the gate
.Those were the good ole days though when the crappies were as thick as skeeters
-Who knows though, with the high water it just might be worth a try again this year.
I ice fished the north marina last year on Dec 4 and only caught one perch-but with Willard its all in the timing
Lookin forward to good times on the hardwater- good luck to y'all and be safe!
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So when did Willard start accepting the state parks pass If I remember correctly Willard & Pineview didn't recognize them and you had to pay the fee out of pocket.
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false..... strawberry and PV are national forest and do not accept state park passses. willard is indeed a state park. think you got the two  [  ]
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True (I mean that it's false).
I hit Willard several times last winter, and yuuuuup - used the annual pass. Maybe I shoulda filled out an envelope just to TELL them. Guess I coulda wrote my name in the snow.
Isn't it $10 to DRIVE into Willard? And isn't there like a $6 walk-in fee? So shouldn't walk-in ice-anglers only need to pay $6? But if you HAVE a pass, but walk in - what can you hang the pass on? Your tent? Sled?!
I also learned that the Idaho end of Bear Lake doesn't take the Utah State Parks pass either. Go figure!
Of note: Pineview doesn't charge in winter. Hope Mantua doesn't start trying to!
I thought part of why the Willard lot was left open was for Snowmobile access? But realy - if bathrooms/fish cleaning station are closed - how does it cost them money to just leave a gate open? Ok - so maybe they plow a road now and then, but . . .
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I could of swore a few years ago Willard didn't accept state park passes. I rarely enter through the marinas. If you know Willard well enough there not need to pay unless your boating or camping. But the few times we did enter I remember show the gal the parks pass and she stated it didn't work here and charged us like 6 or 7 bucks.
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I like to ice fish at Rockport State Park and like the fact that they keep the main bathroom at the launch ramp open all season. Also, the old style potties around the reservoir are not locked up that I know of.
What they are doing at Willard is a little disturbing, because it means the people that manage these state parks at the reservoirs/lakes don't appear to have a consistent policy for closing/keeping open the facilities (I believe the State Parks at Deer Creek also close bathrooms).
I also buy and use an annual State Parks pass. Yes, the revenue from sale of these passes should be counted for the year round funds taken in by these parks.
If Utah is going to have year round fishing, then the State Parks need to have enough funding to keep facilities open for the fisherman. If that means some increase in cost of passes, licenses, etc.. So be it.
I'm an old guy and you notice I am mainly concerned with bathrooms being open (old man's disease). But I feel a lot more wives and kids would be ice fishing if adequate facilities are known to be open for them.
I have said it before and will say it again. The State Parks management should at least have a few chemical toilets around the venue, and possibly out on the ice during the hard deck season if they are going to promote family participation.
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Half the reason I decided to purchase the pass this year was to access the south marina ice. Totally sucks the gate is closed. We need to pressure someone to keep the gate open, especially for those that paid for a pass.
Justin
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I live 7 Min from the South Marina and spend time at the south marina using my annual pass. I like many were planning to use the south marina especially when my 6 yr. old wants to go fishing but has the attention span of about 30 min. I did notice last winter that there usually were not a lot of people out on the ice but I feel that people were not aware it was open last year or like many on BFT used their annual pass. I also did not see that there was anything done during the winter months that is a big cost to the park, the road was usually only partially plowed the restrooms weren't open and I never saw park personnel.
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With all the cost cutting that has occurred in the last few years, we were just lucky they had the South marina open at all last winter and the park manager told me, it would likely only be just that year and that they would not have any of the restrooms open. Everything that takes place is at a cost, like cleaning the bathrooms, someone to open the gates and even patrolling the area to make sure no one is vandalizing it. In the winter they cut back on the temp personel they hire during the summer months. I agree, there would be more people using the South marina if more knew it was open but that would mean more money to hire someone to take care of it. In these lean times we are in, I just don't see that happening but I would be happy if it did.
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I am sure there are some costs with opening the gate and cleaning the porta potty however many of the outhouse type facilities look like they have never been cleaned. I dont mind paying a fee but if the service any state park offers in the winter is lower than in summer the cost to get in should be also. I used to hit Provo Boat Harbor a lot but I got disgusted with overflowing trash cans, no restrooms but a $8.00 fee. The fee has since gone up. I would have been happy to pay the fee if they did anything more than open the gate. Most state parks could lower the fee to 5 dollars during ice season. Maybe more people would use them instead of finding creative ways to avoid the entrance.
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I have my portable loo in the back of the truck for all my fishing and hunting adventures. Now i just need them to shut off the web cam in the north marina so I'm not giving everyone a show this winter[crazy]. The heated bathroom was nice last year though.
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i agree totally, those who know me know i am like others that fish allot at willard but mostly north marina and now as many of you are not aware of they have made a new gate and LOCKED IT!!! at the far north east corner of north marina.
you can no longer access the dock area ect, with out walking quite a distance i have been riding my bike in and fishing.
This is not fair to elderly or the dissabled people that i know enjoy fishing at the marina.
i agree they have started to take a move to really restrict access to the sportsman at willard, if they dont make millions like they do during the summer on the ski boats and all the picnic people and the big boat slip owners they dont want nothing to do with us few sportsman.
I also do not agree with the crap that it costs to much money to keep a gate open when every thing is locked up (restrooms) and all the power is off (lights in north marina all off) ect, all the years fishing in the winter i have note seen them plow it has been some fisherman with a plow on his truck, and i have never seen a DWR ranger check any one at the north marina during the winter they drive aeound at the dock and leave.
most of the people that fish willard in the winter are all the same guys week after week who do have season pass, where DOES that money figure into the equation???
i feel there is some questions that merrit a response from the state parks and we the people in the fishing community need to stand up and ask questions or we are going continue to lose access.
note i went out last night to check out the north marina the guy at the shack said my pass was not good when the x-mass light display was on, you can guess what i said to him, but never the less wayane never came out and said nothing to me......[mad]
wiperhunter we need everyones support on this my friend including yours the park service is not allways our friend and they do need to hear our opions and thoughts and we need to stand up sometimes for our rights when we have paid for access year after year fee's have went up but now we have less.........
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You sure she worked for the state parks and not someone needing a handout. It's been a state park for many years,and I fish it alot with the park pass in my window and have never been asked to pay for entry.[fishin]
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Thanks for the use of it last winter Mike[:p]
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+1 Fishn4eyes....
My season pass just expired last month and I've been procrastinating getting a new one...but with this "bit" of info...I may NOT!! I may wait til Spring and "sneak" in the back ways to Willard, and not pay AT ALL til then! (I know I can't cuz Starvy[angelic] is calling!) I have lived in Utah going on 30+ yrs and have not fish Willard in the Winter for YEARS because of all the NONSENSE that went on there about ice fishing....THEY KILLED IT!! And I went 10- 15 times a season back in the day. At least!
It WAS nice to finally get to go directly to a parking spot @ the south marina last yr...never got to do that in the 30 yrs! But what happened to the North ONE!!! WOW!! REALLY!! And no ATV's....??!! Don't get that one at ANY lake. Sorta...
ANYHOO>>....."Show me the ICE!"
getting some new stuff this season ![[Image: happy.gif]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/happy.gif) ![[Image: bobwink.gif]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/images/gforum/bobwink.gif) and gunna USE it!!!!!!!!
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Ya im kinda sure she was parks employee she was at the toll booth at the So Marina...
Now the more and more people reply I think I have been getting shafted [crazy][mad][pirate]
I think she was double dipping. I swear on everything holy Before HB141 we purchased the 75 dollar parks pass religiously, hung the tag thing on the rear view mirror and she stopped us every time .....[shocked][laugh][crazy][crazy][mad][pirate][pirate]
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South Marina:
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I own a pass. Last year I went to the south marina at least a dozen times during when it normally would have been closed. I don't think the park manager was taking into account any my "park pass" visists when he did his profit/loss calculations.
North Marina:
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I'm very unhappy with state parks for blocking the road that goes around the marina. This is supposed to be a year round park. I am reconsidering the purchase of a park pass once my current one expires. I'm from Brigham and most of the time don't have the time (I would like) to drive very far from home. WB is the primary reason I purchased the pass. With the continued decline in access to shore fishing and no more access to docks (even with boats all gone), it may no longer be worth shelling out the $75.
I have also been harrased by people at the gate during the holiday light show season. Two years ago I had a "conversation" with the owner of the light show because he blocked the road to the boat ramp with cones and I moved them to get through.
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