Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

August 21, 2012

Dan Keefe
518-486-1868

New York Works Improvements Underway at Moreau Lake State Park

Roads and Parking Upgrades Protect Water Quality, Increase Park Capacity

(Moreau, NY...) A project to repair crumbling roads through the campground and improve parking at Moreau Lake State Park's popular beach is underway. The project is funded by Governor Cuomo's New York Works initiative.

"The project will enhance our visitors' experience to Moreau Lake in so many ways, from improved camping facilities to a better access to the picnic area and lake for people with disabilities to greater capacity," said Rose Harvey, Commissioner of the New York State Office of Parks Recreation and Historic Preservation which manages. "I want to thank our campers and beach goers for their patience as we work to finish this project as soon as possible with a minimum of disturbance."

The $614,000 project includes resurfacing all of the campground loop roads, the main beach parking area, and a portion of the entrance road. New ADA-compliant parking spaces will be added, and new sidewalks will improve pedestrian circulation to the picnic areas and Nature Center. Environmentally sustainable features are built into the project to reduce erosion, improve water quality, and improve the health of native vegetation.

Project highlights include:

• Incorporating over 22,000 square feet of permeable asphalt pavement in the Beach Parking Lot, which will redirect stormwater from surface runoff to groundwater infiltration.
• Incorporating new drainage features and "rain gardens" to help filter and reduce the volume of storm water runoff to improve the water quality of Moreau Lake.
• Improved striping of the Beach Parking Lot to increase the number of parking spaces to accommodate high demand during the summer and reduce the number of days the park has to close due to reaching capacity. The park was closed a dozen times this year due to reaching full capacity.

The project undertaken by Empire Paving of Schenectady is scheduled to be completed by the end of August.

The New York Works Fund and Task Force will coordinate $1.3 billion in State funding to spur up to $25 billion in investment from other sources, including private companies, the federal government, and authorities, to allow major projects to move forward that will create jobs and improve the State's infrastructure. The New York Works initiative will provide $89 million statewide, leveraging $143 million in total funding to rehabilitate dozens of state parks and historic sites, representing the single largest infusion in history of capital dollars for New York's park system.

Moreau Lake State Park attracts over 400,000 visitors a year. New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation oversees 178 state parks and 35 historic sites. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.nysparks.com, connect on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.