Drought conditions are forcing an early end to motorized boating at Barr Lake State Park, with the boat ramps set to close Friday at 9 p.m.The reservoir, fed by the South Platte River and its snowpack runoff, is seeing water lev els drop rapidly due to drought conditions. Park rangers said when water levels reach the sandy bottom of the reservoir in the boat launching area, they must close the ramps because trailers can get stuck in the mud.Hand-launched vessels like kayaks and paddleboards will still be permitted on the water.WATCH: Denver7 Anchor Jessica Porter learned more about the closure. Low water levels force early boat ramp closure at Barr Lake State ParkColorado Parks and Wildlife Park Manager William Restrepo said the park has a contingency plan for water rescues after the boat ramp closes, which staff practice every other week."We have two boats. One of them actually is an inflatable with a small engine that we can hand-launch ourselves, even if the access to the boat ramp is not available. So we can just bring one of our vehicles into the shoreline and we'll be out there in a few minutes," Restrepo said.Restrepo reminded paddleboarders and kayakers to wear a life jacket and be prepared for fast-changing weather, including afternoon thunderstorms.Despite the low water levels, fishing at Barr Lake remains strong."Fishing has been really, really good, especially for the last three and a half weeks. So anything from trout, walleyes, wipers fishermen, both from the boats and shoreline, have been doing extremely well," Restrepo said.He said rising temperatures over the coming days or weeks could affect both fishing and overall water quality. While green algae is normal at the lake this time of year, warmer water temperatures can lead to blue-green algae, which is toxic to animals and people.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. ...read more read less