Public safety officials ready for busy weekend

City officials estimate that the upcoming Labor Day weekend, which starts Friday, could be busier than last year because of the ongoing drought along the Colorado River.

"With the drought on the river (and dry conditions on Lake Powell and Mead), it's reasonable to assume we'll have higher numbers of folks on Havasu," said city spokesman Charlie Cassens. "We may see a lot of boaters come from around the state and the Southwest."

Cassens said the police department would be out in full force throughout the weekend, as is the normal routine on holiday weekends. There will be temporary booking stations on both sides of Bridgewater Channel -- one on London Bridge Beach and the other in Rotary Community Park.

Officers will be involved in patrols on foot, in golf carts, all-terrain vehicles and on police boats.

Cassens said fire department personnel would also be on the Channel in a first-aid capacity.

In accordance with city policy, carbon monoxide levels will be routinely measured in the Channel and police and fire personnel will be tested at the beginning, middle and end of their shifts.

"The city will also be measuring the exhaled breath of public safety workers and other workers in the Channel," he said.

The Mohave County Sheriff's Office and San Bernardino County, Calif., Sheriff's Department will be leading law enforcement agencies on the lake.

Trish Carter, spokeswoman for the MCSO, said the county would operate eight boats on Lake Havasu.

"We're going to beef up our presence out there. Our policy is going to be zero tolerance," Carter said, adding that the MCSO always operates on a zero-tolerance policy. "It's always there, we're just going to make it echo."

Carter said the MCSO would be restricting access to the Sandbar, located in the north section of the lake, Friday morning through Monday at 10 a.m.

San Bernardino Sgt. Mike Fassari said his department will deploy 30 deputies on 12 boats and six personal watercrafts, and will patrol along the river starting at Needles, Calif. and ending at the Parker Strip.

You may contact the reporter at mhall@havasunews.com.

Hotel, parks expected to be filled to capacity

BY GARY WEIAND

Lake Havasu City-area hotel and state parks have plenty of space available for Labor Day weekend visitors, but expect walk-ins to fill campsites and hotel rooms.

Rick Knotts, Arizona State Parks northwestern regional manager, said that Cattail Cove and Lake Havasu State Park (also known as Windsor Beach), do not take reservations, and had few campers at Tuesday afternoon. But their combined 121 spaces will sell out, because most campers will come Friday and go Monday, he said.

"I anticipate all the parks on the River will be full -- Windsor by Thursday evening or Friday morning, Cattail by Friday morning," he said. "State parks don't take reservations, but you can call the park to see how many spaces are currently available."

Knotts advised that campsite availability differs from launch capacity. Windsor will probably reach boat capacity by 9 a.m. Saturday, and Cattail by 9 or 10 a.m., he said.

Cheryl Harris, general manager of the Island Inn Hotel, said current reservations are only 60 percent, but she anticipates full occupancy. The percentage is low for just three days out from a holiday weekend, she said, but Memorial Day was also low, and still became a sell-out.

"We get lots of walk-ins," Harris said. "People who don't plan ahead come to our office."

Desk clerk Delores Sedgewick said Motel 6 had three rooms available out of 30, which is about normal. Full occupancy is certain, given the availability of accommodations, she said.

"We'll definitely sell out. There are only 3,700 units available in Lake Havasu City," Sedgwick said.

Joyce Richardson, assistant manager of the soon-to-be Hampton Inn, said reservations are down because the former Holiday Inn will not be a Hampton until mid-September or later. Therefore it receives reservations from neither, and is running about 80 percent, low for a holiday weekend. She said time would tell whether walk-ins make up the balance.

Ramada Inn desk clerk Linda Bryant said that there were probably a dozen rooms available out of 192, but latecomers would take them.

"We'll have to turn people away Saturday," she said.

You may contact the reporter at gweiand@havasunews.com.

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