GAYLORD — When swimmers arrive at the Otsego Lake County Park next summer they will discover a new upgraded beach leading into the lake.
Jacob Brown, director of the Otsego County Parks and Recreation Department, said a recently completed $45,000 beach project focused on the land between the existing beach and the lake.
“It’s now a nice gradual beach with new sand and slopes down into the lake. It will be better for safety purposes, making it easier to get down to the lake,” Brown said.
The project saw the removal of some rocks and the addition of fresh sand to the beach. Brown said Justin Wing of the county parks and recreation commission helped the beach project along.
The county park at the lake sits on 27 acres and contains 80 modern campsites and four cabins equipped with electricity. There are also two pavilions available for rent, restroom and shower facilities, a picinic area, a sand volleyball court, outdoor basketball court, playground, horseshoe pits and a boat launch. It’s a county asset that is in high demand during the summer.
Jacob Brown, director of the Otsego County Parks and Recreation Department, said the recently completed $45,000 beach project at the Otsego Lake County Park includes new sand and a sloping direction that will make it easier to get down to the lake.
“We do pretty good filling it up on the weekends,” said Brown, adding that those desiring a campsite or cabin usually reserve it months in advance.
Fees from campsite, cabin and pavilion rentals provide funding for the county park and all county parks and recreation assets. Other funding sources include a voter-approved levy of nearly 0.25 of a mill that produces about $340,000 annually. The funds are used to cover the Otsego Lake County Park, the Otsego County Community Center, Community Dog Park, Pontresina Park, Irontone Springs, Libke Fields and Wah Wah Soo Beach.
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Brown said Irontone Springs, located at 3549 N. Old US Highway 27, was heavily damaged during the ice storm last March.
“The area has been cleaned up by removing trees. Now we are working on getting the power restored to the pavilion, which was damaged by a falling tree,” said Brown.
He added that the goal is to get the park back to normal by next spring.
Irontone Springs is located at Frank Wilkinson Park, which is named after Frank Wilkinson, an Otsego County road commissioner who owned the property and deeded it to the county after his death.
— Contact Paul Welitzkin at [email protected]
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Beach project will make swimming safer at Otsego Lake County Park
