The four campgrounds around Rough River Lake are getting updated with new equipment, with Axtel being the starting point of a $100,000 project for the Corps of Engineers.

The main goal of the Corps this year is to stress that customer needs have been heard and answered, when it comes to vacationing around the lake.

Campgrounds (Axtel, North Fork, Cave Creek, Laurel Branch) are opening up sooner than ever, sites are getting water and electric installed, as well as older equipment is being replaced with brand new picnic tables and lantern hangers. This will allow for sites to become virtually maintenance free.

Corps of Engineers Park Manager Diane Stratton explained funding for the projects would come out of the budget for 2010, and all work would mostly be done Corps employees.

“We started the work three weeks ago at Axtel campground,” Stratton said, “leveling gravel back up to the asphalt, replacing all picnic tables with new ones and we plan on upgrading 48 non-electrical sites with electric and water. The first loop will cost about $100,000 to do one campground. The picnic tables were paid for out of stimulus funding we received last year, the remaining funding will come out of the Corps’ budget.”

Stratton anticipated for everything to be updated at Axtel by July of this year.

By the time the Corps’ plans are complete, there will be 420 campsites around Rough River Lake for people to enjoy, and by early 2011, 89 campsites will have water and electric installed.

“Projects like these are becoming metropolitan and suburban areas back yard,” Stratton explained. “They rely on projects like this one to experience outdoors in a safe and secure manner. The customers caused us to open the campgrounds early. Their comments were very well received.”