Marina welcomed at Marion Cove
Staff reporter
Marion Cove is open for business.
Well, sort of.
There is a designated area in the cove at Marion Reservoir for concessions.
The Tulsa District of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers designated that area in the early 1970s to be used for private enterprise but no one has been approved by the corps to develop the area.
The corps' definition of concessions is a marina with fuel, groceries, fishing and camping supplies, boat slips, and storage.
Since part of the operation is on the water, specific regulations have to be followed that deal with electricity and handling fuel.
"We'd love to see a development like that," said Terry Holt, Marion Reservoir park ranger.
The catch is that the corps won't support a proposal that isn't realistic.
"A few years ago, there was an individual who wanted to develop that area and submitted a business plan," Holt said. Unfortunately, his proposal was declined by the corps because it did not have a sufficient number of boat slips.
Marinas and similar businesses at smaller lakes, like Marion Reservoir, have a hard time surviving. Council Grove is an example.
"A marina has been there for years and has changed hands several times," Holt said, "and there are times it is barely surviving."
Holt compared Marion Reservoir with El Dorado Lake.
Marion has 170 camp sites. El Dorado has 1,100 with a more populated area that could support the business. The business at El Dorado Lake also sells and repair boats.
Another concern with a marina is water depth. What happens when the water level becomes low due to drought conditions? Could the business continue to operate?
Being a seasonal business, it does not provide an income year-round. The busy time is from April through Labor Day weekend.
For more information, contact the corps office at (620) 382-2101.
What's new at the reservoir?
With limited capital improvement funds, reservoir personnel have been busy maintaining the existing amenities.
Plumbing issues have plagued the facility with some caused by equipment malfunctioning and others by visitors.
A wooden courtesy dock at Marion Cove was replaced with a metal dock.
Two minor flooding events caused the water level to increase 2-3 inches which doesn't sound like a large increase, but did cause 40 percent of the camp sites to be unusable during the Memorial Day weekend, Holt said.
No serious blue-green algae bloom has occurred this year, Holt said. He wasn't sure if an increase in rainfall and flooding had influenced that.
Holt does not anticipate any additional funding in the next year for reservoir improvements or expansion because federal funds are supporting the war effort.
"We'll maintain what we have and keep everything in working order," he said.
Wear life jackets
The big push this year from the corps is for boaters and anyone on the water to wear life jackets.
"The tough thing is to get people to wear the jackets," Holt said.
Most people who have drowned at lakes wouldn't have if they were wearing life jackets.
Kansas law requires life jackets to be within reach of everyone in water craft. Children 12 and younger are required at all times to wear life jackets while on the water.
Holt said water craft doesn't have the protection automobiles have — no padded dashes or air bags.
"Life jackets are like seat belts," Holt said. "You don't reach for the seat belt when you're about to crash."
