The scheduled closure of the Veterans Lake area of Chickasaw National Recreation Area’s Platt Historic District has been postponed until July 7th. The closure of the area, originally planned for the beginning of June, will allow for two major construction projects to occur. The expected duration of the closure is up to nine months. Design modifications to both projects have led to the decision to delay.
In conjunction with the Bureau of Reclamation, the first project will be a rehabilitation of the Veterans Lake Dam, intended to bring the dam into compliance with modern safety standards. The second project is the construction of the north shore portion of the Veterans Lake Trail, including a new west trailhead parking area. The North Shore trail will be approximately 1 mile long and be placed between the
North Shore Road
and the shoreline, with a connecting trail to Rock Creek Campground. The road across the dam and the parking lot at the south end of the dam will be removed and a trail and new parking lot at the north end of the dam will be built as a replacement. The North Shore trail construction will be funded with American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ie., economic stimulus) monies.
During the construction period access to the Veterans Lake area and the
Southwest Perimeter Road
will be closed from U.S. Highway 177 to Rock Creek Campground. No access will be available to the Bromide Hill parking area, the north trailhead of the Rock Creek Multi-use trail, the Veterans Lake Trail and the Veterans Lake Pavilion during this time.
Park Superintendent Bruce Noble said, “This delay will allow park visitors additional access to Veterans Lake and its facilities through the July 4th holiday. When completed, these projects will create a safer and more enjoyable area within the park for visitors to use for many years to come."
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
