CIBOLA COUNTY - State budget cuts are hitting home. The Beacon had recently received several calls regarding the possibility of Bluewater Lake closing. Fact of the matter is, the state park is  closing for the winter, November through February, because of budget constraints, according to David Simon, New Mexico State Parks Division Director.

Bluewater Lake State Park in the Zuni Mountains BEACON / FILE

    A public meeting is scheduled on Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. in order to discuss the seasonal closure with the public at the Cibola County Complex, 515 W. High Street in Grants.

    “The gate will be locked,” said Marti Niman, the public information officer for the parks. “No ice fishing, no one will be allowed in the park,” she added.  “All entrances will be closed. It is a safety issue. It is not safe if someone is hurt and there is no one there to come to their aide.”

    According Niman, this is the first time Bluewater Lake has closed since becoming a state park.

    The main area, Stone Ridge, is scheduled to reopen on March 1, 2010, and and Las Tusas is scheduled to reopen on May 1, 2010.

    “Although budget constraints are causing this closure, I believe a seasonal closure at this time will have a relatively small impact because visitation at Bluewater is minimal during the winter,” Simon said in a press release.

    During the four winter months of 2008-2009, the park recorded a total of 61 visitors.

    “It also gives us the opportunity to concentrate on some park improvement projects that visitors will appreciate when the park reopens,” Simon added.

    Today, the park only has one full-time employee, a park technician. Four of the park's full-time staff positions are vacant. The positions are unable to be filled because the state is in a hiring freeze and has been since November of 2008.

    Peak months of visitation in the park are June through August. Visitation drops dramatically in November.

    The state park division's construction crew has been working on a number of projects at Bluewater Lake recently and work on these projects will continue through the seasonal closure, according to the press release. Recently completed improvements and others underway include: a new entrance to the main area, selected campsite improvements, interior road consolidations and improvements, plumbing and fixture renovations to the park's two comfort stations and the visitor center, park boundary delineations and new employee residences.

    The park is located in the Zuni Mountains, 28 miles west of Grants south of I-40.

    For more information about the meeting call 876-2391.