Roughly two years ago Sweitzer Lake State Park announced huge upgrades to the park just south of Delta off Highway 50. However, initial construction for southside renovations were delayed due to Covid restraints and the promise of new money from the state.
KVNF's Senior Reporter Lisa Young spoke with Scott Rist, Park Manager, about the upgrades and future plans for the park.
With an additional 277 acres purchased on the south side, the park has mushroomed to 635 acres. The new land purchase will be used for more wildlands including an archery range, trails, and two wetland mitigation ponds. One pond may be designated for swimming and paddle boarding.
Last month, the public met with officials to shore up the master plan just before construction began on the south side of the lake.
Original plans for the south side included tent camping. However, Rist says due to construction costs those plans are on hold. Still progress has been made on the south side with a new vault toilet and a more modern day use area.
A new flush toilet was placed near the main boat ramp, a new vault toilet at the north shore area and a gravel road base will be placed on the north trail.
Following the master plan update, Rist says the total build out expected to take six to seven years is estimated to cost between 96 to 98 million dollars. He emphasized that the majority of the funding comes from GOCO lottery money, Keep Colorado Wild Pass and some tax payer money.
Before construction can begin on building out the park, officials will draw up plans for infrastructure and utilities.
While the estimated economic impact to the community is projected to be around $ 25 million dollars including the addition of up to five new full time positions and a dozen part time jobs, Rist acknowledges that there’s mixed feelings from locals.
The public can view the Master Plan and projected build out at the Sweitzer Lake visitor center.
