Get a jump on summer fun at Lake Granbury this May
For the third straight year, Lake Granbury will kick-off the start of family summer fun on the lake with Water Safety Awareness Day. Scheduled for May 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Rough Creek Park, 2209 S. Morgan St., the event offers free fishing, food and fun for the whole family. And, while supplies last, each child will receive a free life jacket to help them stay safe on the water this summer.
“We’re gearing up for an exciting day at Lake Granbury,” said Connie Tucker, the Brazos River Authority’s Lake Granbury project manager. “We have a lot of returning participants and a few new ones,” Tucker said.
From Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Kid Fish Program to fly fishing, boating and kayaking demonstrations, there will be activities for the family to enjoy. While the event offers a variety of entertaining activities, the bottom line is helping people learn to stay safe while on the water.
“The greatest success is being able to provide free life jackets to children who need them,” Tucker said. “In doing so, we’ve had great support from organizations, both public and private, who join us to discuss ways to keep our most valuable asset – our children – safe while enjoying the water, whether it’s in a pool, at the lake or on the river.”
About 350 life jackets have been distributed in 2016 and 2017, and Tucker said she anticipates another 200 being given away this year.
While the focus on life jackets is important, it is far from the only emphasis.
“We also feature other ways to have fun around the water, like our Kid Fish, boating demonstrations; this year, we’ll also have kayak demonstrations,” Tucker said. “The Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District’s water cycle interactive trailer is always a hit with the kids. Additionally, we highlight ways to protect our water through pollution prevention and conservation measures.”
An estimated 250 to 300 people attended the first water safety day in 2016, but weather conditions limited the second year of the event in 2017.
“Last year was an abbreviated event due to torrential rainfall, yet we still estimate around 100 people attended in the hour and a half before we closed up,” Tucker said. “We were able to give away 200 life jackets” (that day and throughout the following weeks). “This year we are hoping for great weather with a great turnout.”
The casual atmosphere allows people to come and go when they have time available, Tucker said.
“With all the springtime sports activities, we would like for parents to come out before or between games and check out our Water Safety Awareness Day,” she said. “Our event is designed to provide a fun and educational time for kids and help parents learn new ways to be better prepared to protect their kids when they are outside enjoying the water this summer.”
“Two new additions are a fly fishing group from Pecan Plantation giving demonstrations and a team of (Texas Parks and Wildlife Department) biologists from the fisheries division discussing (fish) habitat and water quality,” Tucker said.
Local emergency medical services personnel and Cook Children’s Hospital’s Project ADAM will join together to demonstrate how to properly perform CPR on children, she said.
More than 20 different organizations are scheduled to take part in this year’s water safety day. Some of the participants are:
- 95.3 FM K-HITS, which will broadcast live from the event
- Academy Sports & Outdoors
- Alluring Pools and Outdoors
- Cook Children’s Hospital – SAFE Kids Tarrant County
- Creations Child Care and Learning Center
- Granbury High School Fishing Team
- HEB
- Lake Granbury Marina and Stumpy’s Lakeside Grill
- Lake Granbury Medical Center
- Marksmen Firearms
- Pecan Plantation Fly Fishing Group
- Radiant Swim School
- Red Cross
- Texas EMS and local first responders
- Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- TEXSAR
- YMCA