The boat launch was busy at Horseshoe Bend this Saturday, when people flooded the recreation area to celebrate “It’s a New Day at Big Horn Lake.” The National Park Service estimated over 3,000 people were in attendance.

Volunteers gave free boat rides, people fished and kids splashed in inner tubes along the beach. Others sat on the hill enjoying the nice weather and fun times.

    Ken Grant, owner of Midway Auto Sales, helped organize the celebration and said he would like to see it become an annual event to kick off Mustang Days.

“We were all really thrilled,” Grant said. “It put a new visual in peoples’ minds of what the lake has to offer.

“I hope people will step up and develop businesses in Lovell for people on their way to the lake to stop at,” he said. “I think it will come back and boost our economy.”

Grant said every business the FOBHL asked to help out with the celebration said yes.

Red Apple Supermarket provided free food, and an estimated 1,500 hot dogs were served. Pepsi gave away free water and fountain drinks.

ATVs, boats, RVs and water-sports equipment were on display and available for purchase from vendors.

A professional wakeboard team from Big Sky Board Sports in Billings was on the water throughout the day demonstrating wakeboard skills for all curious onlookers.

Mike Snyder, Regional Director of the National Park Service in Denver, said he visited the Horseshoe Bend last summer and no one else was around.

“It was a swamp,” he said.

Since June of last summer, the lake elevation has risen significantly from 3,612 to 3,638 ft.

“Its really great to see the lake up,” Snyder said during remarks Saturday. “Isn’t this what parks are about, seeing people use them?”

He thanked the friends of the lake for volunteering thousands of hours to help run the park.

“We couldn’t run our parks without volunteers,” Snyder said.
He said young people need a way to connect with nature through boating, fishing and hunting. He presented the friends of the lake a check for $500 to extend the youth education program.

Gov. Freudenthal also addressed the crowd.

“You’ve got some amazing and fired-up advocates,” Freudenthal said.

He noted the scene at the lake with boat rides and kids running around. “This is what summertime in Wyoming is about,” he said.

President of the Board of Directors of Friends of Bighorn Lake Bob Croft presented Snyder and Gov. Freudenthal a reproduction of a painting of Big Horn Canyon.

He thanked Gov. Freudenthal for his support of national parks throughout Wyoming.

Croft said the celebration was “a dream come true” for the many people who planned the event. He was happy with the number of people that came to enjoy the lake on Saturday and the full level of the water.

“They’re giving the national recreation area the water it should have by congressional order,” Croft said. “It would take an act of congress to take the water away.”

Ken Grant took Gov. Freudenthal on a boat ride with County Commissioner Keith Grant, Mike Snyder and Rep. Elaine Harvey and their family members. Ken Grant reported they talked about updating amenities around the lake such as redesigned campsites with RV hook-ups, and the governor was “extremely supportive,” Grant said.

The Friends of Bighorn Lake held a free raffle for 24 kids to win fishing poles.

The festivities finished with Banjoman and Company from Smithfield, Utah, playing bluegrass, followed by a fireworks display over the lake.

Visit the FOBHL website at www.bighornlake.com