Boat ramps may continue to close if the water level keeps dropping in Lake Lanier. But Doug Aiken of the Hall County Taxpayers Association presented a plan to the Hall County Board of Commissioners at Monday’s work session to get some of the ramps up and running again.

Aiken said with gravel and inmate labor, Hall County could have the Bolding Mill and Dunlap Landing ramps back in action for $2,000 to $2,500. Both properties were closed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers when the water level became too low for use.

"It’s a win-win," Aiken said. "It’s a cheap fix."

People are not able to use these ramps. With the water so low, the ramps are not long enough to reach into the water. Aiken said the water needs to be about 36 inches deep to launch boats.

And though it would be a temporary fix, Aiken said using gravel to extend the ramps would not only allow more boaters onto the lake, but also reopen the land for camping.

Both types of recreation would bring more money into Hall County this summer.

"It would make sense to certainly do it as quickly as possible because of the season we’re in right now," Commissioner Billy Powell said.

Most of the property lies in Powell’s district, and he said he was interested in looking into the improvements further.

"We’ll do some due diligence and find out if it can be done and what is required as far as permitting to get it done," Powell said. "It sounded like a great idea."

Aiken also suggested leasing land at Wahoo Creek as a way to bring in revenue. In the future, when the lake has more water and there is more county money available, he thinks the Wahoo Creek property could be home to a community center.

Powell said he and Commissioner Steve Gailey have discussed the option of building a community center that would serve both their districts and think the Wahoo Creek property might be a good location for it.

"That actually hits right in the sweet spot of a joint community center that Commissioner Gailey and I have been looking for a place to put. What a great location to have a community center located on the lake. That would be the first of its kind that I know of in Hall County," Powell said.