Keystone Lake’s Pier 51 sees diminished crowds as flooding and storms take a toll

Rain and flooding have led to a quiet year for boaters and marinas around Green Country.

The owner of Pier 51 on Keystone Lake says it’s already off to a slow start for the Labor Day weekend.

The cool air and cloudy skies make it hard to believe it’s a summer holiday weekend on Keystone Lake. At Pier 51, these ducks make up some of the biggest crowds on the water in what’s been a season to forget for General Manager Sean Adair.

“We had the flood, we had the wind, and then we had the firestorm, too, that a lot of people have kind of forgotten about. There were things happening that seemed devastating all summer long,” Adair said.

Adair expected this to be a record year for business, but those expectations floated away when the rain kept coming and the boaters stopped showing up.

The boat docks and restaurants here at Pier 51 are all the way down the ramps, but Adair says there was so much water at one point this summer because of all the flooding, it went all the way into the parking lot, touching the stairs.

The docks and restaurants lost power due to the high waters, and some of the boat ramps are still closed.

Business is down 40 percent compared to previous years, and Adair knows he’s not the only one feeling the hit.

“That’s tough to swallow, and it’s tough for the community of Mannford because Mannford was built around this lake,” Adair said. “All the communities thrive and survive off of the income generated by lake tourism and traffic, and this year we just didn’t get it.”

Memorial Day, Father’s Day, and some of the Fourth of July weekends were all a wash this year at Pier 51.

Business typically slows down once school starts, but Adair is hopeful he can salvage some of the season over the next few days.

“I’m trying to push a lot into this weekend because I believe tomorrow is going to be in the mid to upper 80s,” Adair said.

The fireworks show that was supposed to happen on the Fourth of July weekend is now scheduled for Sunday night. Staff are hopeful it will bring in a big crowd.