County accepts donated addition to Prairie Dells
The Lincoln County Board of Supervisors Tuesday night voted 20-1 to approve a resolution accepting a donation from William Watson.
The donation consists of 5.01 acres of land adjacent to Prairie Dells Scenic Area, near Gleason.
According to Lincoln County Forestry, Land and Parks Administrator Kevin Kleinschmidt, Watson indicated a desire to “put the property to good use and wanted people to be better able to take advantage of the area and enjoy the beauty of the river.”
The acreage consists of upland forested property. In the wake of the board giving its nod, the county can now move forward with considering usage and possible additions to the newly acquired property.
“The entire Prairie Dells area holds distinct historical and natural significance due to the natural rocky outcroppings, boulders, waterfall and rapids up there,” Kleinschmidt explains. “Perhaps the biggest advantage of the donated property is it being adjacent to the current county owned property. This donation will now prevent development in the area and preserve its scenic integrity.”
Examples of long term goals Kleinschmidt mentions for the new property include: Development of trails to connect to Hay Meadow County Park and a pedestrian bridge crossing over the Prairie River, to hook up to the Merrill city forest and existing trails.
Kleinschmidt also mentions possible modifications to the existing viewing area such as expansion of the existing parking lot, development of additional trails, forming a trail head on the property and adding rustic picnic sites.