Green Country Lake Getting Memorial Day Makeover

By Craig Day, The News On 6

FT. GIBSON LAKE -- A campground countdown is underway at one popular Oklahoma Lake.

Construction crews are right in the middle of a million dollar makeover for several camping areas at Ft. Gibson Lake.

And they're under the gun to get the work done in time for Memorial Day fun.

Since the campground is closed, there aren't any campers. But there is a lot of activity at Ft. Gibson's Taylor's Ferry South, and a Memorial Day re-opening deadline is getting closer.

"People are chomping at the bit," Jim Montgomery, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said.

If there is such a thing as a campsite extreme makeover this would be it.

"People are loving it," Montgomery said.

Taylor's Ferry South and North and the Flat Rock camping areas are getting $1.1 million in upgrades.

"The pull in pads are being widened and repaved," Montgomery said.

Road resurfacing, shoreline stabilization, nearly 50 campsites refurbished altogether.

"They'll be a hydrant and pedestal, electric pedestal at every site," he said.

Plus larger table pads around picnic tables.

"Give people a little more room," he said.

All of these improvements came about because of severe flooding over the past few years. The high water covered up just about everything from picnic tables to campsites. It also washed away a lot of gravel at the campsites.

That flooding damage prompted the upgrade.

"You get a wind like today," Montgomery said. "And those waves just bang and bang and bang and just tear up and eat out from under your surfaces."

To prevent that from happening again, crews are putting in reinforced footings around pads. The Corps is confident the work will be finished by Memorial Day weekend at Taylor Ferry South and will be ready for a lot of happy campers.

"They will love it," Montgomery said. "I'm sure they will."

While the construction is underway, the Corps isn't taking reservations for campsites at Taylor's Ferry South. But once the work is complete, people can reserve campsites on a first come first serve basis.