Published: June 26, 2008 06:07 pm         

Duke’s Dock and Marina set to close

It is a peaceful place, with the smell of lake water permeating the air. Almost silently, a couple of boaters float into the bank, fishing rods in hand. A young man — ready to sell patrons soft drinks, snacks, fuel and/or bait — protectively watches numerous boats docked in front of Duke’s Dock and Marina on R.D. Bailey Lake.

It is too quiet, with too few patrons, at Duke’s Marina these days. That is why the marina, a mainstay at the lake since it opened in 1980, is closing July 12. The marina has been up for sale for 18 months, with no takers.

Duke Lester, current owner of the marina, is passionate about the area, where he grew up and is raising his own family.

“I grew up here and I’ve been around the lake since it opened to the public in 1980,” Lester explains.

Lester, a former coal miner, became the marina owner 11 years ago.

“It was always my dream to do this. I wanted to give people a great service and expand the business. I wanted to make a difference here and make a place where families could enjoy coming,” he said.

Numerous factors forced Lester to the decision to close.

“The economy in general is declining. Gas prices are soaring. Boating is declining,” Lester said.

It’s easier for boaters to travel to places such as Summersville Lake, where access is easier due to four-lane roads, he noted.

“There are geographic concerns here too,” he adds, pointing to the mountains that encompass the lake.

“Most lakes can expand, and spread out, when the water rises,” he said.

At R.D. Bailey Lake, the encircling mountains force the water ever higher.

“The fluctuating water level is another problem,” he explained.

The flood of record pushed 76 feet of water into the cove where the marina is located, covering the marina, the parking lot, the picnic areas sitting on knolls overlooking the area, as well as a portion of the access road.

Lester points out the lights which sit on utility poles that rise 50 feet above the parking lot and explains the poles are under water for a portion of each year.

In 2001, when Wyoming County was flooded several times, the marina was open for only 16 days.

“When I took over here, I wanted to build new and expand,” he said of the business. “But instead, you are repairing and rebuilding (after the annual flood waters). You don’t get to expand.

“This is a seasonal business,” he said, “but it’s 24/7 from April till October.”

Lester and his family — wife, Donna, and sons, Jordan and Peyton — also spend a great deal of time at the marina. They also employ seven people.

“They’re here every day in the summer,” Lester said of his family. “This has turned them into great little fishermen and enabled them to learn to respect the outdoors.”

Lester has nearly completed his degree in nursing and will pursue a career in medicine now.

He is the fourth owner of the marina; others included Doug Tolliver, Jack Casteel, and Frank Bailey.

“I’ve been here for 11 years,” Lester said. “My customers are like a family to me. Some of my customers — it was part of their daily routine to come here.

“I’m really going to miss the interaction with my customers. I want to thank them for their loyalty. This has done a lot for me and my family.

“This is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” he said of giving up the marina.

R. D. Bailey Lake project was constructed between 1967 and 1985, authorized by the U. S. Congress in the Federal Flood Control Act of 1962, to control flooding along the Guyandotte and Ohio rivers. It is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In a few years, the project is expected to save more than its initial $180 million cost in prevented flood damages.

Both the Clear Fork and Guyandotte empty into the lake, making it the collection point for Wyoming County waterways, according to officials.

The 19,000-acre project provides year-round recreational activities. The summer lake surface is about 630 acres, with 17 miles of shoreline.

Open for boating throughout the year, the lake contains smallmouth and largemouth bass, walleye, muskie, channel catfish, among others.

Additional recreational features are picnicking, camping, hiking, and hunting.