Watkins Lake State Park & County Preserve dedicated in ribbon-cutting ceremony
Ribbon cutting. Photo courtesy of Harry Sabourin.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission officially dedicated Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve as Michigan’s 103rd state park at a ribbon-cutting event last Wednesday. Watkins Lake is the first state park in Michigan to be jointly managed with a county recreation agency.
So many attendees that some had to stand outside the tent under umbrellas.
Although it was chilly and rainy, park manager James O’Brien, who spoke at the ceremony, estimated attendance to be between 100 and 150 at the ribbon cutting which took place at a hill overlooking Watkins Lake. The event included remarks by Scott Pratt, DNR chief of Southern Michigan Field Operations; Marc Miller, DNR deputy director; Ron Olson, James O’Brien, park manager; DNR Parks and Recreation chief; Robert Marans, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission president; Eric Johnson, Norvell Township supervisor; and Gene DeRossett, Manchester Township supervisor.
The ceremony took place on a hill overlooking Watkins Lake. One attendee remarked that although it would have been lovely if it was a warm, sunny day, the rain gave the lake a serene quality she appreciated.
“The DNR is excited to ceremonially cut the ribbon and officially welcome visitors to Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve,” said Olson. “We hope that this new park…will become a popular destination for wildlife and waterfowl viewing, as well as outdoor- and history-based recreation.”
The property is a popular watchable-wildlife destination and features beautiful rolling land covered in a mixture of open meadow, mixed hardwoods, low wetland areas, open water and the property’s most popular feature, Watkins Lake. The park also has historical value because Royal and Sally Carpenter Watkins, who first farmed the land, played a key role in the Underground Railroad.
Much progress has been made since the state and county announced the creation of the park including picnic tables, fencing, a parking lot, a map kiosk and signage.
Manchester’s own Barb Fuller, who serves on the county Park Commission through her position on the Washtenaw County Road Commission, was in attendance at the ceremony and stated afterwards, “The Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve was made possible by the Watkins Family and a groundbreaking State and County partnership. This innovative example of state and local cooperation has protected a breathtakingly beautiful tract of open space for the enjoyment of future generations.”
On June 16, 2016, the DNR purchased 717 acres of land in Norvell Township, Jackson County, for $2.9 million. Combined with 405 acres of contiguous land owned by the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission in Manchester Township, the 1,122-acre property was jointly created.
DNR Parks and Recreation Chief, Ron Olson.
Manchester Village manager, Jeff Wallace also attended the ceremony and discussed the positive benefit the park could have on our community. He stated, “I thought the ceremony was great because it was the culmination of about 2 or 3 years of effort finally [resulting in] the Washtenaw County Parks and State of Michigan purchasing almost 1100 acres between the two on them and the creation of the 103rd State Park in Michigan. We are encouraged that they are willing to include local municipalities in order to have public discussion in which we may work with the county and state to create trails to Manchester and Brooklyn in which we would be a “Hub” which would connect to Watkins Lake State Park. We think this will be great for our residents and hopefully our commercial district.”
Ray Berg had a table full of Manchester brochures in a second tent, promoting our community on behalf of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
Funding for the $2.9 million DNR purchase came from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The Trust Fund was created with revenue from the development of state-owned minerals, primarily oil and gas, and is used to help acquire and develop public recreation lands.
The park is slated to offer a wide variety of recreational opportunities, such as hiking, bird watching, upland hunting and mountain biking. The property also includes a 4.5-mile former rail corridor that traverses the property from east to west. The trail will link state and county parcels and has the potential to be developed into a non-motorized, multi-use trail, well-suited for hikers, mountain bikers and equestrians. There also is a strong possibility of expanding the trail to connect the villages of Manchester and Brooklyn.
Tent packed with those who came to watch the ribbon cutting.
The park now is open to the public, but with limited parking in a lot off Arnold Road. The DNR and Washtenaw County will create multiple public access points once a formal management plan to guide the development of the park is in place, following a series of yet-to-be-scheduled public input meetings.
For more information on this park, contact James O’Brien, park manager, at 517-467-7401 or obrienj4@michigan.gov.
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