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HUNTSVILLE — Weber County commissioners voted Tuesday to outlaw alcohol along the shores of Pineview and Causey reservoirs in hopes of making the areas safer.
Weber County sheriff's deputies say they're overrun with accidents, near-drownings and other problems that they believe are often tied to alcohol. Homeowners near Pineview Reservoir said they have seen the problems get worse as more people visit.
"We sometimes have a hard time sleeping in the summer because there's just a lot of parties going on on the lake," said Huntsville resident Janae Turner.
That's part of the reason why county commissioners decided to make alcohol use illegal along the shores of Pineview and Causey reservoirs, with the exception of some private campgrounds.
"When we've got six, seven deputies dealing with one incident that's alcohol-related, we're not able to get to a lot of other calls," explained Weber County sheriff's Lt. Brandon Toll.
He pointed out that it's about more than trash and noise. Over the Memorial Day weekend, deputies said a man nearly drowned because he was intoxicated.
However, not everyone is happy with the commission's decision, including some of the people who live near the problem areas.
"I feel like this is fear-based and it's not solution-based," said resident Ashley Stoddard. "I think that it needs to be looked at a little bit harder."
"We need more enforcement, and it can't be just driving or responding to calls," another resident said. "We may need to get down and dirty on the beaches."
Still, many people hope that cutting back on alcohol will result in fewer problems.
"We hope that it will be more peaceful around the lake, and safer. The only accidents we've heard about have been things involving drinking or drugs," said a resident named Tanner.
A 15-day period to educate the public about the new ordinance starts Wednesday. The new law could go into effect anytime after that.
