TULSA, Okla. – When Bill Tippie saw the new courtesy dock being installed at the Highway 10 Landing Day Use Area on the Arkansas River he wanted to wait until it was finished before approaching the ramp and placing his boat on the trailer.
For the Braggs, Oklahoma fisherman, the decision didn’t come down to being the first to use the new dock but protecting his property and life.
“You can tear up the bottom of your boat if you get too close to the boat ramp before you put your trailer in the water and it isn’t safe to wade in near the ramp,” Tippie said.”It makes it hard to get your trailer because you have to get into the water and wade to shore.”
Last month the Tenkiller Lake Office removed an older, wooden dock that was falling apart.
Courtesy docks provide a safer means of launching or removing a boat from the water because they provide a platform for boaters to secure the boat and return to dry land to remove trailers from the boat ramp.
“It isn’t safe to be in the water near a boat ramp, which is why we don’t allow swimming around boat ramps,” said Debra Christie, lead ranger at Tenkiller Lake Office.
Maintenance staff from the lake office assembled and installed the new dock in a few hours.
“I’m thankful for it,” Tippie said. “A lot of the locals use this boat ramp and we appreciate it.”