Restoration work continues at Kanopolis Lake after near-record flooding in 2019 reduced attendance at Kanopolis State Park by 25 percent and wrecked roads and other infrastructure.

As of this month, only one camp ground, Sand Plum, remained closed. One courtesy dock also had not been replaced.

Park manager Jason Sunderland and public service administrator Wendy Bowles recently offered an update on conditions at Kanopolis.

They said the lake’s water issues actually started in October of 2018 and was followed by additional increases in water levels in 2019. In May, the water was high enough that 68 mobile homes in the marina area had to be removed to spots along Kansas Highways 141 and 4. They were only recently returned to the reservoir.

Two mobile homes were deemed structurally unsafe and were not returned to their original site and two other mobile homes were abandoned by their owners.

Water was released from the dam June 10, and the park reopened July 2.

Sunderland said the number of visitors fell from 251,000 in 2018 to 192,000 in 2019. Revenue decreased by $89,000 for the same period.

He said the Flood of 2019 ranks in third place as worst ever. The record goes to the Flood of 1950-51, followed by the 1992 flood. The lake level was 9 feet lower in 2019 than it was in 1993.

Monetary assistance from FEMA is expected to offset some of the costs involved in the restoration. The repairs have to be completed first, and after review, submitted for the funds.

Bowles said the sixth scheduled trail cleanup attracted seven volunteers, four park employees and an Americorp volunteer.

[Americorp is a federally funded volunteer organization, and Kanopolis State Park usually has one volunteer present 75 percent of the time, with two or more present at peak times of the year.]

The cleanup crew collected six dump trucks of debris. Due to the terrain and extensive debris, machinery use was limited, with chain saws and manpower the prevalent tools. Most of the debris was not from the flood, but from the saturated ground and high winds, Bowles said.

This is expected to be an ongoing problem, she added, with more trees dying and falling.

Of the 29 plus miles of trails in the park, 17 more miles still have to be cleared, mostly horse trails.

These natural ground trails, consisting of dirt, rock or grass, are mainly horse or hiking trails, with horse trails the more extensive. Sunderland said park personnel could not mow the trails all last summer due to the wet weather, so they are already behind this year.

Funding for the trail cleanup comes from a trail grant of $54,000, which also includes money for new trailhead markers and horse corrals. Bowles has applied for more grants. Other organizations have also helped. These are:

• Kansas Trail Council

• Kansas Horse Council

• Back Country Horseman

• American Endurance Ride

Conference (AERC Ride)

• Kansas Ultra Runner Society (donated money for a new mower for the park)

The trails are popular, especially for student field trips.

More scheduled trail cleanup dates will be announced soon.

Further information on the trails is available at Kanopolis State Park,

(785) 546-2565.