Between Christmas Eve and January 4, Lake Keepit saw a 9 per cent drop in the number of overnight visitors compared to last year.

Bowling Alley Point Recreation Reserve Trust president Robert Warren said the honesty system at Chaffey made concrete numbers hard to measure, but he estimated roughly 3500 visitors stayed over the holiday period, down by about 1000. 

He put the dip in numbers down to the heat and lack of water, though he added the wet weather may have been a deterrent for campers. 

Lake Keepit staff said the lower numbers were more likely due to rainy weather in the holiday period than low dam levels. 

Lake Keepit Holiday Park manager Kerry Lloyd said even though the dam levels had dropped, it was still possible to water ski when the dam was as low as 2 per cent.

“The Christmas and New Year period was very busy. It’s very nice to walk about in the evenings and see people enjoying their holidays, despite the bit of rain we had and the low level of the dam,” Mrs Lloyd said. 

New Year’s Day proved the busiest, with 140 visitors, down from 190 last year, though Keepit staff were quick to point out the hotter temperatures last year drove higher numbers to the dam.

There was a slight increase in the water level at Keepit Dam following downpours around Christmas – it stood at 9 per cent on Christmas Eve but has now risen to 11 per cent. Copeton numbers were also slightly down on last year, and the dam level dropped slightly from 23 per cent on Christmas Eve to 21 per cent. 

Chaffey Dam is now 34 per cent full.