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Park staff reports strong reservation demand; board hears master plan and algae‑control buoy pilot
Summary
Staff updated the board on master plan finances and project timing, announced Blacktail Dam would open Thursday and that early reservations generated several thousand dollars; staff also described a possible Brown University pilot of filtration buoys for harmful algal blooms with per‑unit costs and a potential funding path.
At the May 19 Williams County Park Board meeting, park staff reviewed master plan implementation, financial projections and operational updates, announcing that Blacktail Dam will officially open Thursday and that early campsite reservations produced several thousand dollars in sales within the first hour.
"We're on pace for ending with just over $4,000,000," the park staff member said when summarizing financials included in the meeting packet. Staff said reservations opened recently and that they recorded more than $6,000 in sales in the first 45 minutes and that the July 4 weekend filled quickly.
Staff also described operational steps now underway: phase‑1 landscaping at Blacktail, upcoming phase‑2 work on the beach and community building, scheduling for irrigation at Lookout Park, and prioritized mowing at McGregor Dam. Staff said they salvaged fixtures from Epping Springbrook Dam vault toilets for reuse and that a pending pumpout is scheduled once weather conditions allow.
During the update, staff described outreach from two Brown University graduate students proposing a test of a buoy‑and‑filter system for harmful algal blooms. The proposed equipment was described as roughly $5,000 per buoy with an additional single‑use filter costing about $5,000; staff said filters would need replacement in subsequent years and that there would be no service contract with the students’ system. "It's really new for them," staff said, and added that state and soil conservation contacts have been included in early discussions. Staff said the pilot is early stage and the earliest start would be next year if the board and partners agree.
Board members raised a separate land‑use issue: an easement that appears to cover a corner of a property inside a proposed Roslyn minor subdivision. Staff said the easement is tied to county highway and could limit building on that corner; board members said the issue may come before the County Commission if the landowner seeks to alter the easement.
The meeting adjourned at 09:36.
