GARRISON, N.D. -- The new Fort Stevenson Marina on Lake Sakakawea is operational. Boats are in the slips. and meals are being served in the restaurant. More improvements are on the way, but the most important thing is that the marina structure is complete, and boaters are taking advantage of the facility.
"The people who are in here love it," said Carey Gieser, marina manager. "They are understanding. They want to be here and be on their boat. We're dealing with some issues. but they are getting by and loving it. It's been going really well."
Original plans for the marina called for having it operational by Memorial Day 2009. But plagued construction, and the physical structure of the marina was not completed until late last year. A tentative date for a grand opening in early 2010 was scrapped. The reason? A few more odds and ends needed to be cleaned up.
"We had all the docks in by Memorial weekend and all the slips committed to," Giese saidr. "We've still got some unforeseen issues with utilities before everything will be fully functioning. Electricity to the docks will be a while. It has become a big issue."
Despite the setbacks, Gieser said he has a waiting list for slip rentals. He knows he has room for additional slips but would like to see everything fully completed before adding more rentals. He's hopeful that will occur yet this summer. If so, Fort Stevenson State Park and the new marina will finally schedule a grand opening.
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The push to build a new marina gained momentum when the old Fort Stevenson Marina went dry in 2002. It remained that way for seven consecutive boating seasons, so waiting a little longer for the new marina to be fully completed pales in comparison.
In the meantime, customers are enjoying the convenience of the new marina, something that had been missing for several years on the north side of the lake. The new restaurant has proven particularly popular and is gaining a reputation as a stopping point for visitors to Fort Stevenson State Park, many who come just to check out the facility.
"It's been really fun," Gieser said. "The store is up and running and we've done a lot of things with the restaurant. We've added a full breakfast from 6:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. We've got burgers, Angus steaks and great chicken. It's been going really well."
Although the marina hosts large boats over the long term, there is ample dock space for anglers to come in off the water and tie up for an hour or two. Gieser estimates there is 700 feet of dock space for small boat parking, making it very convenient for boaters and anglers to take a break without worrying about trailering their boat. They can simply tie off, climb out and walk up the marina ramp for food and refreshments.
"We get a lot of phone-in orders from people on the water. They call in and ask for an order to go so they can get back on the lake," Gieser said. "It's just been a hoot."
The old marina at Fort Stevenson has a floor elevation of 1,822 feet. Garrison Reservoir has been rising rapidly as of late. That means the old marina is usable, at least for the short term. Gieser said he is still considering a few options for the old marina as long as it remains flooded. The floor of the new marina is 1,790 feet.
