Lake Murray, Lake Monticello swim areas won’t open as planned in April

Public recreation and swim areas on Lake Murray and Lake Monticello will open later than planned, Dominion Energy announced Thursday.

Both the beach on the Lexington side of the Lake Murray dam and the Fairfield County swimming area of Lake Monticello will remain closed, according to a news release.

Dominion, which runs both lakes, said it would delay opening dates for the areas until after April, when they would typically open for lake season. Dominion did not say when exactly the recreation areas would open, since the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is still uncertain.

The lakes’ public boat launch areas, parks and other access points will be accessible for the time being so long as Gov. Henry McMaster does not order them to close. Some states and local governments have closed access to beaches, bodies of water, boat ramps and marinas as part of their efforts to create “social distance” between people.

On Monday, McMaster asked South Carolinians to avoid groups of three or more people, and to stay six feet away from others. That was the most aggressive guidance to date from S.C. officials, who are struggling to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus that had infected at least 298 people in the state as of Monday evening.

McMaster asked law enforcement officers to clear the state’s beaches last week after crowds of Spring Breakers descended upon the coast, flouting advice from epidemiologists. Several municipalities in South Carolina also cut off or restricted public beach access: Hilton Head, Alljoy Beach (Bluffton), Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island and Edisto Beach.