National Park Service set to ban personal watercraft at nine sites including one in Oklahoma

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Personal watercraft will be prohibited at Chickasaw National Recreation Area and eight other national parks after September 15th. <br><br>The ban is because the National Park Service

Tuesday, July 23rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Personal watercraft will be prohibited at Chickasaw National Recreation Area and eight other national parks after September 15th.

The ban is because the National Park Service won't meet a deadline to finalize rules and address the environmental impact of the small boats on the parks.

The Park Service is under a court order to show personal watercraft don't harm the parks.

A spokeswoman says the ban is expected to be temporary, but could last until next May.

Other parks affected are Amistad National Recreation Area and Lake Meredith in Texas; Lake Mead, Lake Mohave and Lake Powell on the Colorado River between Nevada, Utah and Arizona; Big Horn Canyon in Montana; Curecanti, Colorado, and Lake Roosevelt, Washington.