By Vernon Robison

Moapa Valley Progress

Local business leaders and county staff met with Park Service officials last week and took a tour of Overton Beach area. Pictured l to r are MVTAB Chair Judy Metz, Chamber President Jeff Phillips, District Director for Congresswoman Berkley Tod Story, County Rural Coordinator Janice Ridondo, NPS Public Information Officer, Andrew Munoz, Northshore Inn owner Deb Wiggins, and NPS Concession Supervisor Kris Kirby. Photo by Vernon Robison.

A group of local business owners met last week with Lake Mead Recreation Area officials to discuss ways to work together in increasing visitation through the Moapa Valley community into the north end of the Recreation Area.

The Wednesday morning meeting arose out of a recent Moapa Valley Town Advisory Board meeting when local residents expressed frustration that north end Lake Mead attractions had been closed down; specifically the road to Overton Beach.

Business owners in that meeting had complained that the decision to close down Overton Beach had dramatically decreased tourism in the community and had adversely affected business conditions.

Park service officials had said that there was almost no chance of the Overton Beach road being opened before next Spring. But they offered to meet with business owners to begin a broad cooperative effort to try and draw visitation to the area from outside the regions.

On Wednesday, October 26 business owners had expected only to be meeting with Park Service officials Andrew Munoz and Kris Kirby for a morning discussion and brainstorm session. But County Commissioner Tom Collins made an unexpected appearance at the meeting and insisted that the group be taken on a tour of Overton Beach.

Munoz explained that they had not come to discuss the re-opening of Overton Beach. But Collins insisted that business owners should see conditions at Overton Beach first-hand. So arrangements were made to take the tour.

In the process of the tour, Collins asked Munoz and Kirby for a breakdown of exact costs involved in opening the road to the area and precisely what level the water had to reach before boats could be launched once again from the ramp.

After returning to the Overton Community Center, the group held a brief discussion. They discussed ways that the Moapa Valley Chamber of Commerce could work with the Park Service to seek grant funding for marketing the community more effectively as the northern Gateway to Lake Mead. The group agreed to meet again in two weeks to continue the discussion.