Over 400,00o visit local state park

 By Tom Morris, Lantern Editor

Published Thursday, Sept. 5, 1985 in Vol. XIX, No. 1

Surprise, surprise.

El Dorado State Park was officially dedicated during the 1984 Labor Day weekend, but no one dreamed that the facility would become an instant success.

What a difference a year makes.

Kansas’ newest park, which officially opened July 4, 1983, was the first ever in the state to generate more than $200,000 in annual revenue. It is a welcome surprise to state and local authorities.

This year, El Dorado State Park has generated an estimated $220,000 in revenue, and more than 406,000 persons have entered the Shady Creek and Bluestem Point areas.

Park manager Bill Porter said he expected the park – built around El Dorado Lake – to be successful, but not quite so soon. State attendance and revenue marks were shattered the third week in August.

“I am really surprised that we broke it that early. It’s been a good year, and we’ve had good weather,” Porter said.

The Fourth of July weekend was the busiest this year with approximately 78,000 people entering the park. During the Labor Day holiday, 40,804 persons visited the park and revenues amounted to $13,000.

Lynn Burris Jr., director of the State Park and Resource Authority in Topeka, also said he had not expected the local park to become an instant success.

“I am surprised because we’ve yet to open two other areas there,” Burris said.

“The level of development has an obvious impact. The Army Corps of Engineers had the lake developed extremely well when it was opened,” he added.

Visitation has increased almost 30 percent this year among the 22 state lakes and parks, Burris said, and as many as 4.5 million people could visit Kansas recreational areas this year.

He said there are two reasons why more people are patronizing state lakes and parks.

“One, it has been a good season weather-wise, and two, the fishing quality in the spring.”

“If we get good results (fishing) in the spring, then that early interest seems to carry on through the rest of the year,” Burris said.

Clinton, El Dorado and Cheney are the sites with the largest patron support, Burris said. They are the three biggest state parks and are close to urban areas.

El Dorado’s park manager said there are several reasons why Prairie Port is No. 1 in Kansas.

“We’re a new park, and people are coming out to see what we have. Fishing out here is good, the facilities are new and the campsites are close to the water,” Porter said.

Porter, who arrived in 1980, also mentioned that attendance figures include several people who keep returning to the park.

“People keep coming back…a lot of them would live here if they could. If they didn’t enjoy it here, they wouldn’t keep coming back,” he said.

The city of El Dorado and the state park are both prospering from the Prairie Port’s success.

“We’ve had good community support. As long as the community keeps interest, we’ll keep growing every year,” Porter said.

Rod Ziegler, El Dorado Chamber of Commerce president, said the lake attracts prospective customers.

“We think the lake is our main attraction,” Ziegler said, “and it has created a traffic flow through the city.”

“This year we even started the Prairie Port Festival and staged some events together to bring the lake and community together. It was very successful.”

Turnout at the local park could be even better next year with the opening of a Kansas Turnpike Interchange, and Boulder Bluff (north shore) and Walnut River (below the dam) recreation and camping areas.

Boulder Bluff and Walnut River will increase lake facilities by 60 percent. With the opening of the two new areas, full-time employees will increase from 11 to 15 employees and part-time help will jump from eight to 23, Porter said.

Porter does not see any limit to the lake’s potential.

“There’s just no limit here. If we can get people here the first time and they see it, we can sell it,” Porter said.

“I’m real pleased with the acceptance of the park. It’s never been done before and it’s above everyone’s expectations,” he added.

El Dorado Lake is located just north and east of El Dorado. The project was authorized under the Flood Control Act of 1965 as a multi-purpose reservoir with a cost benefit evaluation of 40 percent for water supply, 40 percent for recreation, 10 percent for flood control and 10 percent for water quality.

The lake is the first Tulsa District Corps of Engineers project with a municipality, El Dorado, actually owning the water storage. The project was started in 1973 with work on the Corps of Engineers Project Office on the embankment began in 1976 and was completed in June of 1981.

At conservation pool, the reservoir has 8,000 surface acres of water, surrounded by 3,981 land acres in four areas, with 98 miles of shoreline. Average depth of the lake is 19 feet.