Washing County's ambition for an inclusive and nature-embracing lakeside experience just inched closer to realization, credits to a recent financial push. Pulling in a substantial grant from TC Energy, the county's Natural Resources Department is now fishing for the last deposits of funding needed to launch the Glacier Hills Lakefront Development Project, nestled in the serene locale of Friess Lake in the Village of Richfield.
A unanimous nod from the Washington County Board last month ignited the green light for grant hunting to complement the financial cocktail made up of $250,000 from TC Energy and a cozy $200,000 pledge from the Washington County Golf, Parks & Trails Endowment Fund—an obscene amount toward the estimated $1.2 million dollar project, according to an update posted on the Washington County’s official website. This ambitious effort seeks to improve the quality of Friess Lake and its stormwater system, while tailoring lakeside amenities for swimming and fishing aficionados of all ability levels.
With a nod to history, the site—which once thrummed with the laughter of children from St. Aemilians Orphanage enjoying their summers from the 1930s through to the 1970s—is set for a rebirth. The project blueprint includes ripping out the time-worn asphalt and laying down new stormwater pipes that will filter runoff through a bioretention basin before it greets the lake waters. Furthermore, the development plans to establish an ADA-compliant boardwalk all the way to a sizeable, anchored dock complete with kayak launch, not to mention the addition of a pit toilet facility for the convenience of park-goers.
"One of the reasons people choose to live here is to enjoy the natural beauty of our parks and lakes,” County Executive Josh Schoemann was quoted on the county's official site. He expressed gratification about the endowment “working as designed to perpetually invest in improving our parks." Schoemann highlighted the project's twofold benefit: enhancing recreational access and lake quality while tipping a hat to the area's rich legacy, as per the Washington County’s official website.
For those who want their voices heard or simply thirst for details about this lakeshore revamp, the door is open. Residents are urged to join the Glacier Hills County Park Lakefront Development Project Facebook Group or shoot over their two cents to [email protected].
