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October 2005 Konza Sailor Page 9 |
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What is all that digging about? |
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Those of you who don’t live on the banks of Lake Tuttle and/or follow all the news articles about reinforcing the dam on the lake may not know what’s going on at the point at the mouth of Tuttle Cove. I trust by now everyone knows that the US Army Corps of Engineers is going to reinforce the dam in an effort to make it capable of withstanding the effects of an earthquake along a fault that runs through this region of the Midwest. The construction that is taking place on the “point” at the mouth of our cove is a spin-off of the dam reinforcement project
While the dam is being reinforced during the next 7 to 10 years, varying portions of the campsite below the dam (River Pond State Park) will be unavailable for use by campers. In order to continue to provide camping opportunities to the people who would ordinarily use the River Pond area, the Corps of Engineers is developing two campsites that have been part of their long-range plan since the building of Tuttle Reservoir. One campsite will be located across river pond to the southeast; the other will be located on the “point” at Tuttle Cove.
So, you might ask, “What is all the digging about?” Quite simply, the Corps is converting a virgin piece of hilly, rocky terrain into an RV park capable of providing level campsites for about 40 large recreational vehicles. All of these campsites will have electric and water hookups; some of them will also have sewer hookups. The creation of these level campsites with connecting roadways required the movement of untold hundreds or thousands of cubic yards of earth and rock. As an example, can see the major “shelf” that has been constructed just to the south as you exit the cove.
As in any RV park, additional support facilities are also being constructed. A check-in station and a dump station will be located just inside the entrance to Tuttle Cove Park. A bathhouse will sit on top of a plateau at the center of the arc of campsites. And, right on top of the highest point of that finger of land that forms the southern portion of the mouth of Tuttle Cove are two large lagoons that will serve as the sewage treatment plant for the campground. And, obviously, all the campsites and these outlying facilities must be connected by buried electric, water and sewage lines. There’s been a whole lot of digging going on!
So, what’s the impact on the Blue Valley Yacht Club? |
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I think there are several factors that the club needs to consider.
After the majority of the construction in Tuttle Cove Park is completed, Tuttle Cove Road will once again be reopened and those of us who so desire can drop a dinghy in the water at the state boat ramp and motor out to our boat or across to the Club grounds. (I think the last forecast for the reopening of the road is late this fall.) Just as I can motor out to my boat, so can anyone else who happens to launch any form of watercraft at the boat ramp. If the new campgrounds are heavily used then I think we can realistically expect much more traffic on the water in the Tuttle Cove area. We should start thinking right now about how we will attempt to insure the safety and security of our sailboats on the water and our other club facilities.
The good news is that our sailing club and sailing activities will have more visibility. Perhaps campers who have had an opportunity to watch sailboats in action on a large Kansas lake will decide to try sailing themselves. Some of them may even decide to move to the region, buy a boat and become a part of BVYC. Realizing fully well that liability if always of concern, some of us may nonetheless decide to offer to take campers for a ride on the lake. The ways by which we could whet the appetites of future sailors seem endless. We can start thinking of them right now also.
Some of us who live at the lake have been upset as we watched the pristine countryside being chewed up by large earth moving equipment. Even though our “back yard” will never have the same appeal that it has had since we’ve lived here, I trust we’ll get over it. We tried to stop the construction and failed so now I am trying to find bright thoughts to go along with the campsite. I suppose the thought of sailing from the cove out onto Tuttle Reservoir on a breezy, bright, sunny afternoon with several hundred spectators in the Tuttle Cove RV Park all looking longingly at me will boost my spirits. And, next October when we have our dinghy races in the cove, the shoreline may be lined with spectators cheering us on as we round the marks.
Surely, the new campgrounds will bring much good to the community. |