Park development progresses
slowly
By Heather Mangold
City
Editor
Employees of Prophetstown State Park spent the
summer clearing trees, planting wildflowers and finishing a wetland
area, but don't expect the park will be completed for another 10 years.
"We've got a master plan," said Tom Burkhart, property
manager. "It includes resource management, planting prairie grass and
wildflowers, among other things. It's going to take a long time to get
all the land, everything according to the plan."
Much of this delay is due to the construction of
S.R. 225, which will run its course through the middle of the park.
The park will go over Swisher Road, the road that will act as an entrance
to the park.
Stephen Sellers, media consultant for the Indiana
department of natural resources, said S.R. 225 planners have completed
the first design phase and expect to receive bids for its construction
this fall.
In addition to constructing this main road, others
steps are being taken to make progress within the park.
Although the park is expected to have 2,400 total
acres, only half of that acreage currently belongs to the park. On the
existing land, Museums at Prophetstown and a wetland area already exist.
The museum includes a farm, which will demonstrate the ways of farm
life before modern technology. The wetland will act as the farm's sewage
treatment facility.
Burkhart said, "We'll be unique in that all of
our sewage treatment will be constructed wetlands."
Plans for the park this fall include starting the
bidding process for the construction of a gatehouse for the entrance
of the park and constructing picnic areas as well as an area for camping.
Burkhart said the construction for the gatehouse, picnic areas and campgrounds
would begin next spring and be completed by late fall.
"Hopefully there will be access to the campground
by the summer of 2003," said Burkhart.
Costs to enter the park are in conjunction with
all state parks in Indiana. A day pass costs $3; an annual pass costs
$18. Senior citizen annual passes cost $9.
The park is located south of Battleground across
the Wabash River.
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