York County shut down two boat ramps at Allison Creek Park on Saturday, Sept. 12, as Lake Wylie's water level continued to fall.

Ramps 3 and 4 are closed until further notice, according to a York County alert. The county's notice addressed only those two ramps and did not mention the status of other ramps at the park.

The county called the closure a precautionary step. Lake Wylie's water level has entered what Duke Energy classifies as the "caution" range but has not yet reached the utility's official closure threshold, YoCo News reported.

Park staff are monitoring conditions, including upcoming rain events, and will adjust the closure as needed, the county said. No reopening date has been set.

The move is the latest restriction at the popular Lake Wylie launch site. About two months before the ramp closure, York County banned pontoon boats from launching at Allison Creek Park because the water was too shallow, WSOC-TV reported.

Lake Wylie water levels have fallen for months

The drought affecting the lake has been described as the worst to hit the region in more than a decade. By May, water levels sat 15 to 17 inches below average, exposing submerged obstacles closer to the surface than usual, according to Roaring Eagle News.

As of June 21, Lake Wylie measured 95.4 feet out of a baseline 100-foot "full pond," well below its target of 97.5 feet, according to Queen City News. No updated water-level reading has been published for September.

Fisherman Dillon Berkebile, speaking at the Allison Creek Park landing in June, described the challenge of getting on and off the water during the drought.

"I think the hardest part here is getting in and out of the water," Berkebile told Queen City News in June. "Once you're out there, it's not super bad."

Ray Webber, executive director of the Lake Wylie Marine Commission, warned in April that the commission was closely monitoring levels and could close ramps if conditions worsened. He told Queen City News in April that the lake was "concerningly low" because of insufficient rainfall in the mountains.

York County said it will share updates as conditions change. Boaters should check the county's alerts page before heading to Allison Creek Park.