What’s up, dock?
Facelift likely for popular fishing attraction
Staff writer
Marion County Lake’s heated fishing dock is one of only three in the state, which is part of the reason the lake is a go-to destination for anglers.
But time has worked damage on the plywood walking surface of the dock, and lake supervisor Isaac Hett is looking to have repairs made.
Hett said the flooring of the outer walkway had become squishy and soft in parts.
Despite the deterioration of the deck, he usually sees 10 to 15 cars at the dock throughout the day during early summer and late fall. Sometimes he sees as many as 20 cars there.
“It’s a big part of the lake, and it’s an attraction,” Hett said.
With the wood beginning to get rotten, Hett said, he doesn’t want to see someone get hurt.
“I’d rather be safe than sorry,” he said. “I don’t want someone to fall through.”
Fixing the walkway isn’t as simple as replacing the wood. State law requires Styrofoam floats underneath the dock to be replaced with coated plastic floats if the dock gets work.
Hett said a state grant could help pay for the work, but getting qualified contractors to provide a quote has been difficult. “It’s going to take someone who knows a lot about docks to repair it and do it right,” Hett said.