Weather delays work on Watkins Lake Trail, but progress continues

Work on the Watkins Lake Trail started last spring with clearing and tree trimming. Photo courtesy of Roy Townsend, WCPARC.

Work along the Watkins Lake Trail between Manchester and the State Park at Watkins Lake, just across the Jackson County line, has been delayed but not forgotten, according to Roy Townsend, Project Manager for Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission, who is coordinating the project for the state and the county.

"We had hoped to get started earlier this summer," Townsend said, "but the wet weather we had in June and July pushed things back. Just as we were starting to get contractors scheduled, the storm of August 12 hit hard out in Manchester Township, especially near Noggles Road."

Townsend said that between 40-50 trees and large branches fell along the trail, and the county had to hire a contractor to remove the debris. "That just got done this week, and we will probably get started constructing the trail right after Labor Day," he added.

The trail has been graded and the next steps will include putting down crushed stone and asphalt. "It will be a gravel surface trail," Townsend said, "not a paved surface."

It has been a challenge for the County Parks Commission to find enough people and contractors to do the work along the trail. Like everyone else, they are short staffed and many contractors are busy and booked out. "We plan to get more done this fall; it is just a later start than we anticipated," Townsend said. "This year we plan to get the segments done between Austin and Sharon Hollow, and Sharon Hollow to Noggles Road. Next year, we will do from Noggles Road to the parking lot in Jackson County."

Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve is the result of a unique partnership between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) and Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission (WCPARC). The MDNR owns 717 acres of land in Norvell Township, Jackson County, while WCPARC owns 405 preserved acres in Manchester Township, primarily through WCPARC's Natural Areas Preservation Program. The trail is part of the joint project that WCPARC manages for the two agencies. 

The new walking trail will be constructed of crushed stone and asphalt. It will not be a paved trail. Photo courtesy of Roy Townsend.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.