Re: "Popular beach at Steamboat Rock closing permanently" (Star Jan. 27, 2021)

In response to the shocking news about the sandy beach area at Steamboat Rock State Park being permanently closed due to a government mystery: oh Ya and EROSION, I’m thinking why stop there? Shut the entire Banks Lake and Lake Roosevelt down. Certainly, the rise and fall of water levels and tourist enjoyment has and will cause more erosion. If that’s the case, then I also feel I’m in danger while driving through the Coulee Walls and beside any natural hillside or formation caused by erosion. I hate to be the bearer of bad news people, but this entire area is made up of erosion displays. Why haven’t the geologists and Bureau of Reclamation experts shut down our towns and roads due to increasing erosion? Everywhere you go, look, and see is created by erosion.

Steamboat Rock State Park just had another section of 30-40 campsites built, but didn’t bother to add a new section of beach, probably because of that dreaded erosion.

The area that is in question is a “NO CAMPING,” steep-hilled embankment with very large boulders protruding from and securing the base with tons of sand in front of it. I have been beaching my boat there for 15 years now and have yet to witness any locals or tourists intentionally climbing the embankment or digging into the bank with buckets to erode it, only people enjoying themselves on the sandy beach. In mid-summer for 2-3 weeks when the lake water rises to its deemed maximum level, the water reaches the foot of the embankment, making it unusable anyway.

This summer will only bring dangerous situations of boats and people parked on top of each other at the few other beaches available. To me, this is unhealthy and illegal due to the lack of space and social distancing. I sure hope all of these aimlessly wandering boaters are double masked when they finally land somewhere on these beaches.

And as an afterthought, maybe change the name from Banks Lake to Bank Erosion Lake.

Kurt Steinke

Electric City