Residents urge commissioners to keep Atchison County Lake public, cite WPA history and safety concerns

Dozens of residents urged the Atchison County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday to abandon plans to sell Atchison County Lake and instead invest in repairs and management to keep it open to the public.

Speakers at an 11:30 a.m. public forum described the lake as a longstanding community resource and raised legal, environmental and safety questions about any sale or redevelopment of the property.

The community urged the board to pause the sale conversation and complete a full historical and legal review. Resident Jessica Saxton told commissioners the lake is used year-round by local families and students and said reports that “no one uses the lake” are incorrect. “There is never a time when this lake isn’t being enjoyed,” Saxton said. She also asked whether potential buyers had been informed about restrictions that may attach to land acquired via eminent domain or federal programs.

Why it matters: Speakers said the lake was created during the New Deal-era and that history and public access are at stake. Several residents asked the county to confirm whether New Deal/Works Progress Administration (WPA) records or deed conditions impose limits on resale or require offers to original landowners.

Residents recounted family history tied to the lake and asked the commission to pursue alternatives to sale, including grant funding, volunteer stewardship and a county-sanctioned management plan. Trudy Wishrip read a written statement from local landowners asking the board to halt the process “until a complete legal review is conducted,” noting family accounts that the lake was developed through New Deal-era work programs and that some parcels may carry reversion or right-of-first-refusal provisions. Wishrip said the group had asked the county to search original abstracts and deeds before proceeding.

Speakers also flagged maintenance and safety issues. Resident Glenda Torkelson pointed to a stone entrance pillar that was knocked down the prior year; county staff responded that insurance proceeds and an account earmarked for lake repairs exist and that the pillar repair would be scheduled. Several speakers urged the county to repair and study the lake’s spillway; resident Ian Saxton asked whether emergency-management or engineering studies had examined the consequences of a catastrophic spillway failure and who would be liable if downstream flooding occurred.

Other concerns included access and easements. Cindy Saxton said there is no recorded easement for the driveway she uses and that, if ownership changed, her home could be landlocked without a negotiated access agreement. Several speakers asked the county to offer adjacent original landowners the opportunity to repurchase land if legal title included reversion clauses.

Commission response and next steps: Commissioners said the board has not received formal offers and emphasized that no sale has been completed. They described the current phase as exploratory and said the county is gathering information — including ownership history, maintenance costs and potential grant programs — before any decision. Commissioners also confirmed the roads that circle the lake are county roads and that typical access would remain under county control unless a formal sale and reclassification were approved.

The board set a follow-up public meeting for May 15 at 7 p.m. in the county commission room to continue the Atchison County Lake discussion and asked staff to gather additional documentation, including historic records and maintenance/engineering information.

Ending: Commissioners told attendees they value public input and will publish additional notices about the May meeting. Meanwhile residents who oppose a sale urged the board to place any formal action on hold until historical, legal and safety questions are resolved.