Central Park Lake project moves along

Board of Supervisors
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     Work on the Central Park Lake Restoration Project has been non-stop in recent weeks.

     Conservation Director Brad Moorman gave the Jones County Supervisors an update on conservation projects during their Jan. 16 meeting.

     “The contractor has been busy,” he said. “They got rid of a lot of vegetation where they’ve been digging.”

     The lake project involves dredging and restoring the lake at the county park.

     Moorman said other little projects associated with overall lake restoration have taken shape, including the building of fish habitat to be placed on the bottom of the lake.

     With a new fishing pier in the plans, Moorman said the frame and pilings are being built now.

     “That will sit on 12 feet of lake water,” he said.

     The in-lake portion of a new boat ramp behind the Nature Center was also poured. There will be 8-foot sidewalks leading up to the ramp, with pea gravel placed down for smaller watercraft entering/exiting the lake.

     Large rocks have been placed along the shoreline to keep vegetation growth down.

     However, the biggest project is removing sediment from the lakebed.

     “They’ve been working all day long,” said Moorman of the contractor, PCI, “and nights and weekends.”

     He said with the frost a couple feet deep in places, this is prime digging season for the heavy equipment moving throughout the former lake.

     Moorman said funding might allow conservation to modify the plans a bit to add more fishing access and an additional 5-foot sidewalk to extend the boat ramp for ADA access and parking.

     Throughout the course of this winter project, he said 28 trees had to be taken out. Moorman plans to have those replaced.

     In terms of funding the lake project, Moorman said the list of donors and contributors keeps growing.

     Conservation also acquired a new wildlife area near Oxford Junction. Moorman said the area encompasses 265 acres. He said the state assisted in the acquisition, as did funding from the Parks to People program and Pheasants Forever, just to name a few.

     With Conservation Board member Larry Pisarik stepping down, Moorman said those interested in serving on the board have until March 1 to submit their applications.

     “It’s a big and important commitment,” he said.

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