More than 40 federally managed lakes across more than a dozen states are facing full or partial closures heading into Memorial Day weekend, as the Trump administration’s layoffs and funding cuts impact recreation services.
Officials at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say they’re facing resource limitations and staffing shortages as they approach the busiest months of the year for outdoor recreation. As a result, the agency says it’s forced to limit operations at certain sites or potentially close them altogether.
Campgrounds, beaches, boat ramps and access points are among the sites being closed at lakes managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
“Decisions to make operational changes at recreation areas are not made lightly, and we understand those decisions may be disruptive to the public’s plans,” USACE spokesperson Gene Pawlik told USA TODAY.
A few regional offices have pointed directly to staff shortages as the reason for limited public access to recreation sites going into the summer.
“We continue to reassess our current operating picture as impacts from resignations and the hiring freeze are realized,” Pawlik said.
The corps manages 400 lake and river projects in 43 states, making it one of the leading providers of outdoor recreation. The agency says it welcomes more than 260 million visitors to its sites each year, with many located within 50 miles of major metropolitan centers from coast to coast.
How is the US Army Corps of Engineers impacted by DOGE?
Layoffs of tens of thousands of workers across the federal government began almost immediately after Trump assumed office earlier this year, part of a push by Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk to shrink the federal government and drastically reduce spending. The administration established the Department of Government Efficiency to spearhead the effort.
Trump executed a presidential order Jan. 20 placing a hiring freeze on civilian workers in all executive departments and agencies, which has been extended to July 15. Though the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a branch of the U.S. military that primarily builds and permits infrastructure, it is a civilian workforce, and has been subject to the hiring freeze.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in March notified 1,068 employees (about 3% of its civilian workforce) of their eligibility for the Trump administration’s buyout program for federal workers as part of a massive downsizing of various federal agencies.
More than 100,000 federal employees lost their jobs in the first two months of Trump’s second administration through layoffs of probationary employees, who are new to government work or recently moved between agencies or accepted a promotion. Additionally, about 75,000 federal employees accepted the original buyout offer Trump extended shortly after he took office in January.
Which lakes are impacted by closures? Here’s how to check
With Memorial Day weekend ushering in the start of late-spring and early summer boating, camping trips and hiking, some favorite destinations could be off-limits for the time being.
Though there are some scheduled closures and weather-based disruptions, more than 40 lakes are impacted by full or partial closures amid the agency’s grappling with resignations and ongoing hiring freeze.
The USACE maintains an ongoing map and list of sites with full or partial closures, including those due to flooding or storm damage and scheduled renovations. Lakes with multiple site and access closures or other service disruptions include:
Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas and Missouri
Norfork Lake, Arkansas
Black Butte Lake, California
Lake Lanier, Georgia
Albeni Falls Dam, Idaho
Coralville Lake, Iowa
Council Grove Lake, Kansas
Barren River Lake, Kentucky
Nolin River Lake, Kentucky
Rough River Lake, Kentucky
Arkabutla Lake, Mississippi
Harlan County Lake, Nebraska
Robert S. Kerr Reservoir, Oklahoma
Webbers Falls Reservoir, Oklahoma
Closures helps USACE staff other sites, spokesperson say
Pawlik told USA TODAY the USACE is scaling back operations at some sites in order to prioritize visitor safety and well-being, as well as ensure minimum staffing requirements at other locations. Full closures are a last resort, he added.
“By concentrating available staffing at fewer sites, USACE can ensure those sites are able to provide visitors with the full range of services and opportunities expected at those recreation areas,” Pawlik said, adding that changes are made on a project-by-project basis. Some are required due to resource limitations such as staff shortages, while others are due to scheduled maintenance, outages or what he called “other resource restrictions.”
Contributing: James Sergent, USA TODAY.
Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dozens of USACE lakes impacted by closures amid DOGE, Trump cuts
