Crescent Bar boat launch to open in May
Courtesy photo Construction crews spent the fall and winter working on the new on-island boat launch at Crescent Bar. The boat launch will be ready for Memorial Day.
CRESCENT BAR — Construction work on recreation and infrastructure facilities on Crescent Bar should be finished before the end of 2018. The new on-island boat launch should be completed by Memorial Day, according to a press release from the Grant County PUD.
The project also includes new wastewater treatment and water systems. The improvements are the last phase of extensive upgrades on the island.
Previous projects upgraded the campgrounds, swimming beaches and restrooms, and added a walking trail. Total project cost for all upgrades is about $30 million.
The new boat launch has been under construction over the winter. Crews installed permanent pilings, then installed a steel framework and covered it with cast concrete panels, said project manager Brandon Little.
The water system upgrades will be completed by July, the press release said. A new well will be added to back up the existing drinking water well, and a new pumphouse is part of the project. A third well, which had supplied drinking water, will supply irrigation water to the existing nine-hole golf course. That well no longer meets current water quality standards, the press release said.
The new wastewater system will be built next to the existing system, which will be decommissioned. The construction won’t affect use of the golf course this summer, Little said.
The recreation projects follow a long and contentious dispute between the Grant County PUD and the people leasing homes and RV spaces on the island, including a lawsuit. The two sides reached agreement in 2015. In that agreement the leaseholders agreed to pay most of the costs associated with upgrading the wastewater and water treatment facilities. The leaseholders will pay about $7 million over 10 years, the press release said.
Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.
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