Also slated to open is Mother Neff State Park in Moody, which will be available for day use only starting March 1.
Three U.S. Army Corps of Engineers parks with extensive damage are closed indefinitely, waiting on special funding from Congress to make repairs. Corps regional operations project manager Greg Pope said a $9 million repair estimate includes recreational and natural resource damages of $4 million at Stillhouse Hollow and $3 million at Lake Belton, as well as $2 million in superficial damage to Lake Belton’s dam.
Appropriations Committee member U.S. Rep. John Carter said he plans to push for emergency appropriations attached to a supplemental bill for fighting the war on terror this spring.
More than $800,000 in repairs to Mother Neff are on hold while Texas Parks and Wildlife works out reimbursements with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is contingent on Parks and Wildlife securing flood insurance and moving some structures from the park floodplain. The parks department has appealed the insurance requirement and requested a waiver from the Texas Insurance Commissioner, FEMA spokesman Earl Armstrong said.
At Lake Belton, Westcliff Park is closed indefinitely due to last year’s catastrophic damage, as are Union Grove and Dana Peak parks at Stillhouse. The fishing dock at Dana Peak and boat ramp at Union Grove are open.
Though many parks are up and running, lakes manager Dan Thomasson said open areas have minimal services available, such as portable restrooms rather than permanent facilities. Also, bridges are closed at Chalk Ridge Falls, but the nature trail is open.
Visitors should expect little shade in areas with dying trees, and little grass where topsoil was stripped, he added.
“There’s still a lot of work to be done,” said Thomasson, who manages Belton and Stillhouse Hollow. “It’s basic access with not a lot of amenities.
“We need $7 million to return them to pre-flood conditions - buildings that are nice, clean and painted and up to what we consider excellent standards. We had some really nice facilities to start with and we’d like to return them to that condition.”
Although Stillhouse and Belton lakes have received no additional or supplemental funding for repairs of damage caused by 2007 flooding, some repairs have been made using $450,000 in fiscal year 2007 carryover funds. About $150,000 at Lake Belton and $300,000 went unspent on routine repairs and upkeep, like cleaning and mowing, while facilities were closed, Pope said.
In 2007, the number of visitors to Lake Belton fell to 1 million from 2006’s 2.5 million. Stillhouse hosted 300,000 visitors last year, far below the 990,000 of 2006, he said.
At Mother Neff, visitors will find a new fee collection office one-half mile north of the park off State Highway 236.
Park manager Joe Ledwig said he has requested the Texas Department of Transportation replace “Park closed” signs on Interstate 35 with “Day use only” signs.
The first state park in Texas, Mother Neff will be available for hiking, picnics and fishing. Water fountains are working, although only portable, chemical toilets are available, he said.
Ongoing closures include the overnight camping areas, recreation hall and restrooms, as well as the stone and wooden tabernacles. Orange fence will surround damaged structures until each is ready for public use, Ledwig said.
Like at Belton and Stillhouse, visitors should prepare for mud since the normally lush grass was removed by floodwaters.
FEMA’s preliminary estimate for Mother Neff repairs was $832,077, including $418,767 for repairs to an historic rock tabernacle and clubhouse; $378,999 for repair or replacement of the park office, resource building, bathhouse, sewer grinder pumps and lift station, and electrical panels; $27,821 for repairs to a wood tabernacle; and $11,491 for cleaning and repairing drainage pipes.
The FEMA reimbursement, which will be 75 percent of the final repair estimate, is contingent on Parks and Wildlife moving overnight camping, the office and the resource building from the park’s flood plain near the Leon River, he said.
Ledwig added that he was told Parks and Wildlife appealed FEMA’s requirement that the park purchase or maintain flood insurance because state agencies are self-insured.
Moving three historic structures, which were crafted by the Civilian Conservation Corps, is not required. However, repairs will be reviewed by the Texas Historical Commission, among others, to make sure their historic integrity is preserved and they are safe for public use, said Randy Bell, Texas Parks and Wildlife regional director.
Bell said 2008 Parks and Wildlife funding for capital repairs is already obligated, although the agency in December drafted a rough estimate for future $1.7 million in repairs and upgrades.
In addition to repairs and road construction, proposed changes include increasing the number of full hookup sites for campers with water, sewer and electrical service and adding pull-through spots, Ledwig said.
“That’s a tremendous improvement of amenities compared to what was here before,” Ledwig said. “All indications are that things are going to keep moving toward reopening the park with overnight camping facilities.
“I feel it’s going to go through.”
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