NEWS RELEASE

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

September 10, 1998

CONTACT: Norman Young (850) 892-8000

TWO LAKES GET HANDICAPPED PIERS

Sometime this winter Hurricane and Karick lakes in the Blackwater River State Forest will be more user-friendly for anglers, especially those with handicaps.

The Florida Division of Forestry, which oversees the 192,200-acre state forest in Santa Rosa and Okaloosa counties, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission which operates both lakes as fish management areas, plan to begin work in early October on handicapped-accessible fishing piers, access and parking spots for the piers on both lakes. To do the work, they have to drop the water level in each lake by 8 - 10 feet, something they're already doing.

FWC Fisheries Biologist Norman Young said in the cooperative venture the FWC will pay for all the necessary materials and DOF will be doing the actual construction. Work on the Karick Lake pier will be done first.

"They'll also be building 'courtesy piers' at the two FWC ramps on each lake," Young said. Courtesy piers are narrow, planked walkways built along the boat ramps to aid boaters getting into and out of their boats.

Young said, "Both lakes will remain open to fishing during the work but using the ramps may be difficult."