The S.C. Department of Natural Resources has moved to ban beer and other beverages from a beach area popular with boaters on the lake, part of a wider overhaul of rules that would also include a ban on firearms, all-terrain vehicles and hunting.
But a DNR official on Tuesday indicated to Lexington County Council that there is something of an exception to the rule; since it is legal in South Carolina to drink alcohol on a watercraft, any alcohol that stays below the high water mark on the beach is legally in the clear.
“People can pull up and drink on the outside (of the elevation line) but once they go up above that our officers can enforce the law,” Willie Simmons told council members. “They cannot drink when they’re on the island.”
The demarcation line will be clearly marked with PVC pipes and orange flags on the beach, Simmons said. “I have walked out there myself and it is very hard to miss.”
Located near the end of Old Cherokee Road about eight miles northwest of the middle of Lexington, Bundrick Island has long been a destination for day-trippers during the summer. But the new regulations are meant to keep a lid on what has sometimes been known as a rowdy party spot on the DNR-managed island.
County council members asked if agency personnel would be there to ensure the new rules are enforced. Councilman Darrell Hudson referred to the Sandy Beach part of the recreation area as “Drunk Island.”
“I grew up on Sandy Beach,” Hudson said. “I was one of those teenagers not too long ago.”
Simmons said a shared DNR and Parks, Recreation and Tourism Department office will remain on the island. All rules and regulations will be posted around Bundrick Island, and designated personnel will be tasked with picking up any trash left on the island.
“We want to leave it open and allow access for the public, so they can enjoy it, while at the same time trying our best to mitigate a lot of the issues that go along with that,” Simmons said.
Bundrick Island will remain open to the public from sunrise to sunset, and will continue to offer opportunities for camping, hiking and dog-walking. Bicycles are also allowed on the island on designated paths.
Simmons also said the boat ramps on the island are being updated. “It’s going to be made longer. It’s going to be made wider, so that they have to answer any emergency calls on the lake, they can get people on and off with emergency equipment and also anybody that might be in a wheelchair any type of assistance that may be needed.”