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Kick-off for Katy Allen Lake Project
A brisk and windy Wednesday afternoon saw the presentation of funding checks and a ribbon cutting, which marked the start of long awaited improvements to Katy Allen Lake in Nevada.
On hand at the lake were representatives from the Nevada 3M plant; local funders; Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission; Community Association of Regional Enterprises; as well as the Vernon County commissioners.
"This day has been a long time in coming. From what we could find in our records, the Vernon County Commission first applied for a grant to improve the lake in 1971," Vernon County Presiding Commissioner Joe Hardin said before the ribbon cutting.
The decades have seen many grant applications and none met with approval. When yet another denial occurred earlier this year, representatives of Kaysinger, including administrative assistant, Cassie Sanders, worked closely with the commission to recruit local support to fund the project.
"The two key pieces to this successful partnership were the early commitment by Jason Hedges of Hedges Properties, which jump started donations by local groups and individuals and the single biggest piece, which was a large grant from 3M," Hardin said.
Presenting a large symbolic 3M Eco Grant check in the amount of $35,080 were Brian Daugherty, interim plant manager, 3M Nevada; Carolyn Carrigan, industrial hygiene engineer; Sara Rains, environmental engineer; and Dana Ellis, occupation health nurse.
Explained Daugherty, "The Eco-grant program began in 2012 and is quite competitive. The people with me today are the team that spearheaded this grant project and will continue to be involved. I appreciate the collaborative effort to support this initiative and the groups which will be direct beneficiaries."
On hand to represent two of those beneficiary groups were Halie Ast of Nevada FFA along with Kate Birch and Becky Bruce of Vernon County 4-H.
Most of the local donors were on hand to present checks, which were large in physical size and amount. Project donors included Joe Swearingen, representing First National Bank; Seth Barrett, Heritage State Bank; Tom and Cathy Hissink; Jason Hedges; Scott Buerge, Metz Bank; Kyla Hendrix, Great Southern Bank; and Derek Ast representing Archer Daniels Midland.
The grant and donations totaled $90,580.
Paperwork and disbersement of funds is being handled by Community Association of Regional Enterprises, which is a non-profit organization managed by the same board which operates Kaysinger Basin Regional Planning Commission.
As the grant application stated, funds are to be used for the "establishment of a natural learning environment for Vernon County STEM, 4-H, FFA and other youth organizations to promote environmental/conservation awareness, increasing learning opportunities, inspire and educate children by providing funding for curriculum, materials and improvements to onsite, county owned and maintained Katy Allen Lake ... with projects including but not limited to: wildlife, forestry, horticulture, geospatial, geology, exploring your environment, entomology and others."
Earlier on Wednesday, in the county commission office, Vernon County Southern Commissioner Everett Wolfe produced a good sized stack of grant proposals for improvements to and around Katy Allen Lake, all of which were not funded.
Presiding Commissioner, Joe Hardin said, "What's different this time is we are using all private money. We have the generous grant from 3M and donations from a number of civic minded businesses and individuals."
"By doing the project this way, we can use our own crew to do the work when the weather allows, which will save a lot of money. Folks may not know it, but the Missouri Department of Transportation considers our crew to be one of the best in the state when it comes putting in a bridge, a culvert or what have you" Wolfe said
"And we will do as much as we can out there as the funds allow," said Neal Gerster, northern district commissioner.
Once a final sign off is received from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and Army Corps of Engineers, work will proceed to cut the dam, drain the lake and clean out part of it.
The project will also close off one spillway, improve the west end spillway and add a pedestrian walkway over it, install a chat covered walking path around the lake and set a pedestrian bridge on the east side of the lake.
The metal bridge will be taken from one which is currently setting along a section of Tally Bend Road which was closed about three years ago.
On hand for the ribbon cutting was Don Banwort with the Katy Railroad Historical Society. He explained how the lake was originally created to serve as a water reservoir for use in the steam engines for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, more commonly know as the MKT or Katy Railroad.
At his desk in the commission's office, Wolfe pulled out a thin volume, turned to the back and explained. "According to these copies of the deeds, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad sold what was commonly known as the Katy Allen reservoir to the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1953 and MoPac sold the 30 acres to the county in July of 1961."
A notice in the Oct. 15, 1902 edition of the Nevada Daily Mail says, "Now that the reservoir is no longer needed to supply water for the Katy Railroad's steam engines, a group of gentlemen met last night and formed the Katy Allen Fishing Club. ... Katy is for the M. K. & T Railroad and Allen for Mr. Allen, the president of the railroad."
The article described a 50-year lease, plans for clearing weeds and brush, putting up an attractive fence and stocking the lake for the club "whose membership is limited to 50 members."
"We'd also like to put in a better access road to the lake from Centennial but that will likely cost more money than we have now but we continue to recruit funds and eventually hope to get that done," said Hardin.
Improving Katy Allen Lake has been a particular interest to Wolfe for years. "With the change in weather, it's too late to do much this year but I think 2017 will finally be the year Katy Allen Lake will be improved and move from being a problem to being a bit of a showpiece."
Added Gerster, "And a whole lot of people are going to benefit from it, especially the kids," added Gerster.