On Monday, August 10, 2009, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division will begin making improvements at Bonners Landing Public Boat Ramp on Lake Jordan in Elmore County. The project will include multiple phases beginning with the construction of a 60-foot-wide launching ramp capable of accommodating up to four boaters at a time. The ramps will be constructed in August and will be set into place during the draw-down in mid September. Traffic will then be re-routed to improve traffic flow to and from the new ramps. Although there is currently no projected completion date, it is expected to be ready for use well in advance of the 2010 spring fishing rush.

Damon Abernethy, Fisheries Development Coordinator for the Alabama Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, said that it will be necessary to temporarily close all or portions of this access area at times during the construction project, beginning initially with the swimming area. He also points out that the parking lot expansion currently underway at the state ramp near Camp Chandler should be complete before the Bonners Landing project begins. The project at the state ramp, being completed by Alabama Power, should provide an additional 40-50 parking spaces to help accommodate displaced traffic from Bonners Landing until the ramp can be permanently opened.

Regarding organized fishing tournaments that frequent Lake Jordan, Abernethy said, "We realize that this project will represent a temporary inconvenience and that it will occur during a popular time of year for tournaments, but the project must be coordinated with the fall draw-down in order to get adequate depth at the toe of the ramp. We hope these organizations will understand that we cannot always predict when a closure will be necessary, and that they will make arrangements to host their tournaments at an alternate ramp until the project is complete."

Anglers and boaters who would like to obtain information about projected closings should visit www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/where/reservoirs/jordan/access/b/ for updates during the project period.

The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources promotes wise stewardship, management and enjoyment of Alabama's natural resources through five divisions: Marine Police, Marine Resources, State Lands, State Parks, and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries. To learn more about ADCNR, visit www.outdooralabama.com.