Friends Of Keomah Share Summer Success

Swimming at Lake Keomah became a little bit more popular this summer with some help from Friends of Keomah.

Swimming at Lake Keomah became a little bit more popular this summer with some help from Friends of Keomah.

Oskaloosa, Iowa – The summer sun is setting, and fall is moving in. That didn’t stop the Friends of Lake Keomah from sharing one more blast of summer with users of the newly restored beach area.

Carole Kelderman, a member the group responsible for helping to bring back the once popular summer location, said that the picnic was a way to celebrate all of the upgrades that have taken place at the lake, and to help foster communication between users, volunteers, and residents at the lake.

The volunteer group, Friends of Keomah visited Lake Wapello, and were “jaw dropped” at the size of the operation being undertaken there.

Kelderman says the operation at that lake took 15 years to grow, and the Friends of Keomah look forward to years of growth at the beach and boating area at Lake Keomah.

Kelderman heaped the praise on the park ranger for his work and dedication to the park.

A dog park is planned for next year, as well as rebuilding the boathouse for the use by those enjoying the lake.

Kelderman said that dog park will provide a place for campers and beach users to spend time with their 4-legged friend off the leash.

Kelderman says she took up the project of working towards revitalizing the resource because “it gnawed on me” because the facility wasn’t being utilized to it’s fullest potential.

Keomah was a popular spot for swimmers and the summertime crowd until the past couple of decades. The decline in usage lead to further problems for the beach area.

“We all [older generations] remember a time when these two levels of parking were completely full, and you could not get a place on the beach. You couldn’t get a place for a blanket,” Kelderman remembered.

Kelderman isn’t sure what the future will hold, or what the crowd size will be, “I’m hoping that the younger people will get that same feeling [nostalgia]”.

Posted by on Sep 21 2016. Filed under Local News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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