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Slip holders at Smithville Lake are still reeling from the wake of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decision.

The decision calls for the boat owners to come into compliance with regulations, including keeping docks clear of any unauthorized material and to meet electrical and water standards.

Slip holders have asked Clay County Commissioners to help them find common ground with the Corps of Engineers, citing how their time at the lake has become a way of life.

“The docks are our community — our seasonal neighborhood,” slip holder Leah Marie Pyle said in a prepared statement.

Eastern Commissioner Katee Porter said they would provide whatever support they could.

“We’re willing to go to bat for you,” she said. “We’re not trying to rain on anybody’s parade.”

Clay County Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Sites Director Charlie Barr reiterated that the final decision of what changes need to be made belongs to the Corps of Engineers.

“We’re in a situation where we don’t have a lot of choice here,” he said.

Barr is hopeful the Corps of Engineers will have guidelines for slip holders to follow done by the end of the year.

He anticipates slip holders will need to take corrective action before the Corps of Engineers’ annual inspection next April.

Electrical improvements could need to be done sooner.

A series of inspections concluded last week raised another issue, decks that had been attached to docks.

Barr said of the 452 covered slips inspected, 211 had decks.

“Only seven of them passed the structural inspection,” he said. “Most failed the material load criteria.”

None of the uncovered slips was discovered to have an additional deck.

Barr said that is the way all the slips should be.

“The Corps approved having boat storage facilities at Smithville Lake,” he said. “It did not approve a lifestyle.”

Pyle questioned the findings from the most recent inspections, citing different figures for load requirements.

Barr said the county followed the International Builders Code. Pyle also questioned whether the county was following other codes and regulations, citing the electrical system and fire safety measures that needed to be in place.

Bob Chizek, another slip holder, asked why the regulations are only being enforced now after years of lease renewals. He cited what weight docks could hold as an example.

Chizek also said when issues have been raised in the past he has come into compliance, noting his switch to an outdoor electric grill.

Presiding Commissioner Ed Quick conceded that the county has not provided the oversight it should have.

Barr said the situation at Smithville Lake is not unique.

He said the Corps of Engineers is moving to tighten enforcement at lakes it controls throughout the region.

Senior writer Mark Johnson can be reached at 781-4941 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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