Summary: GAO was requested to review the health and safety conditions of nonfederally managed water recreation areas of the Corps of Engineers' and the Water and Power Resources Service's (WPRS) reservoirs.
GAO found several types of health and safety deficiencies at the Corps and WPRS areas. These included: (1) poorly designed, overused, or malfunctioning sanitation systems; (2) structurally unsafe picnic and restroom facilities; (3) a dam spillway without a barrier; and (4) inadequate disinfection or filtration systems and excessive bacteria or turbidity levels in drinking water. Corps and WPRS headquarters recreation management officials stated that regular and thorough inspections are not conducted nor are local managing officials directed to make needed improvements. These officials stated that funding constraints make it difficult to effectively monitor the condition of nonfederally managed recreation areas. Nonfederal public agencies' officials acknowledged responsibility for operating and maintaining recreation areas in a safe and healthy condition but stated that they lacked adequate funds. These officials claim that operation and maintenance costs and visitor use have increased over the years but that recreation budgets have not kept pace. As a result, nonfederal agencies have turned over management of a number of areas to the federal agencies.
