Residents urge scaled-back approach to Union County's Clark Reservoir plan, criticize proposed amusement-style amenities

Union County officials presented a state-funded plan to dredge and redevelop the Clark Reservoir on Monday, describing work that county consultants say is needed to remove sediment, improve drainage and add trails and limited non-motorized boating access. The proposal, which county staff said is backed by roughly $43,000,000 in state grants including ARPA funds, also shows concept amenities — including a children's train, a carousel and a synthetic seasonal rink — that many residents said would transform the wooded preserve into an amusement-style park.

The project team's lead presenter, Mike McClellan of CME Associates, outlined the scope of work the county plans to seek permits for, including mechanical dredging of the headwaters, West Lake and Central Lake. McClellan said the design estimates roughly 154,000 cubic yards of sediment would be excavated across the lakes, that the overall property is about 162 acres (roughly half water and half land), and that operations would be phased to minimize traffic and environmental impact. He told the meeting the excavation material was tested and…