TULSA, Okla. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oklahoma and Canton community representatives were joined by the Commander, Southwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Tulsa District Commander to cut ribbon on the newly re-opened Canadian Campground “A” during a ribbon cutting ceremony at Canton Lake, March 25.
Brig. Gen. David C. Hill, Southwestern Division Commander, Col. Richard A. Pratt, Tulsa District Commander, Wanda Baker, Vice Mayor of the town of Canton; Kris Marick, Director of State Parks for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, and Canton Lake Association representative, John Stahl, participated in the ceremony.
The campsites, two showers and restroom facilities, loop roads, a playground and a boat dock, as well as portions of the nearby day-use area, were destroyed when an EF 3 tornado struck the campground, May 24, 2011.
The vortex left Canton Lake’s oldest developed campground in ruins.
“With the outstanding fishing we had last year and another good fishing season on the way, the reopening of this campground is just one more reason to come out and enjoy all of the great recreation opportunities Canton Lake has to offer,” said Kathryn Carlson, Lake Manager, Canton Lake Project Office.
Following the 2011 tornado, residents of Canton and surrounding communities volunteered their time to remove debris from the campgrounds and the lake, which according to Pratt, demonstrated the lake is a unifying force for the community.
“It really was the community that came out here and helped us cleanup after the immediate effects of that tornado,” said Pratt.
Canton Lake was originally created as a result of the 1938 Flood Control Act for the purpose of water supply, flood control and irrigation. In addition to its primary mission, Canton Lake, which is located on the North Canadian River, about 2 miles north of the city of Canton in Blaine County, Oklahoma, provides recreation opportunities to the area.
"The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is the nation’s largest provider of outdoor recreation opportunities, and within the Corps, the Southwestern Division is the second largest in the number of visitors, with 75 million patrons," said Hill.
"The Corps' recreation projects are a significant economic driver for many communities and the nation. It is estimated that 10 percent of Americans visit a Corps project somewhere in the country at least once per year, and those visitors spend approximately $18 billion and support 270,000 jobs annually."
According to Kris Marick, Director of State Parks for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, tourism is a $7.2 billion industry in Oklahoma and for areas like Canton tourism is an important industry for jobs and revenues.
“In Blaine County alone, there were expenditures of $11.3 million for tourism in 2012, tax receipts of $170,000 and payroll of over $1 million,” Marick said.
According to USACE officials, work on providing electric service remains underway and should be complete when Canadian “A” Campground opens for camping in April.
While water levels at the lake are currently lower than normal due to an extended period of drought, the lake continues to support a wide variety of recreational opportunities and remains a highly popular fishing, hunting and water sport destination.
The Corps used available funding to rebuild 77 sites in accordance with current modern design standards, complete with 50 amp electric service and concrete impact zones and trailer pads. There are now two pre-fabricated handicap accessible shower and toilet buildings and a handicap accessible playground.
The Federal Highway Administration provided $1.32 million to rebuild the damaged camping loop roads through the Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads program.
The longer boat ramp in the Canadian Day Use area, and modernized camping facilities should provide recreational opportunities for the public for many years to come.
Initially when the campground re-opens, campsites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Eventually, reservations will be available through the National Recreation Reservation Service.