Work on accessible dock nears completion

Fort Scott Public Works Street Department employees (from left) Jeff Johnson and Rick Hurd place gravel at the bottom of the forms used to create a sidewalk leading to the new accessible dock located at the Fort Scott Lake. (Rayma Silvers/Tribune photo)

Despite frequent rain showers and heat that have passed through the local area, members of the Fort Scott Public Works Street and Park departments have been working diligently to finish construction on a new accessible fishing dock at Fort Scott Lake.

According to Fort Scott Public Works Park Supervisor Russ Hughes, on June 15, members of the street crew prepared to pour concrete for a new sidewalk which leads to the stationary fishing dock. Because of the way it has been constructed, the fishing dock is accessible to any area residents who want to use it. For example, the stationary nature of the dock and the smooth sidewalk make it accessible for residents who use wheelchairs, scooters and walkers. Even before the sidewalk was finished, many area residents had been using the dock for several weeks.

According to Hughes, the new accessible dock was made possible through a Wildlife and Parks Community Fisheries Assistance Program cost-share grant. Some of the funds used to create the dock were accessed through the grant, and the remainder of the funds were contributed by the city of Fort Scott. Much of the city's contributions were in-kind services, according to Wildlife and Parks District Fisheries Biologist Don George.

The dock has a concrete pad with hand rails, and will eventually be equipped with an outdoor cooker and about four picnic tables, Hughes said. According to George, although there is already a floating dock at the lake, the new dock will give area residents a place to fish that is away from boats that are trying to enter and exit the lake.

"It (the location of the new dock) is a great spot, and we really need to be able to provide some place for people to fish," George said in a previous Tribune article.

Fort Scott Public Works Director Eric Bailey said the new dock provides a safe place for all area residents to participate in fishing activities.

According to Hughes, Rogers Concrete helped provide and pour some of the concrete at the dock. The rest of the dock was constructed by the Fort Scott Public Works Street and Park divisions.