Lake Atalanta Park set to reopen

A view of construction on East Walnut Street on Sunday at Lake Atalanta Park in Rogers. The park, which has been closed for more than a year for construction and renovation, is set to reopen with a celebration on Saturday.
A view of construction on East Walnut Street on Sunday at Lake Atalanta Park in Rogers. The park, which has been closed for more than a year for construction and renovation, is set to reopen with a celebration on Saturday.

ROGERS -- Jennifer and Jason Santellan moved from California to Northwest Arkansas in 2013 and have been eagerly awaiting the renovation of Lake Atalanta Park.

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People walk on a new section of trail on Sunday at Lake Atalanta Park in Rogers. The park, which has been closed for more than a year for construction and renovation, is set to reopen with a celebration on Saturday.

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A view from the treehouse on Sunday at Lake Atalanta Park.

"I like how they've integrated the new construction into the park," said Jason Santellan, who was out Sunday morning walking with his wife and children across a newly made boardwalk that extends 2,000 feet along the lake. "They've made it more modern."

The Santellans aren't alone. Several dozen people were out exploring an 88-acre section of the park south of Walnut Street and the Clark Pavilion that has been open to the public since early July.

Some visitors who were excited to use the space accessed it this summer through the Railyard, a natural surface bike park connected by trails to Lake Atalanta Park.

The park is set to reopen after more than a year of construction and renovation.

A grand opening celebration will start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with family activities and a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11:30 a.m., followed by interactive exhibits about the visitor experience.

The 235-acre grounds have been under a $17.5 million construction and renovation project since July 2015. The project added 3.5 miles of hard surface trails, 10 miles of hiking and cycling trails, sidewalks, a bike park and two dog parks.

A storm in late September set back progress when several 2,000- and 6,000-pound rocks in the park were damaged and had to be moved.

Near the park entrance is a treehouse with wood platforms, stone and spiral staircases. A pavilion with five signs, each 4 feet tall, and several smaller signs lend information on the park's history, the area's plant life -- which has 608 plant species -- and bird population, which reports that 182 bird species have been sighted in the area.

The signs are highly detailed with in-depth information gathered by various regional groups, such as the Rogers Historical Museum, members of the local birding community, plant experts from the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and schoolteachers.

The lake is filled with several types of fish, including perch, catfish and bass. It's stocked with 3,500 trout from November to February each year, according to David Hook, facilities development manager for Rogers.

Daniel Shields and his son, Gavin, were taking advantage of a mild fall morning Sunday to fish off the edge of a pier. Gavin had just celebrated his birthday the night before and Shields said the park offers several areas to engage his son.

"He can get bored with fishing in 20 minutes but there's a lot more for him to do and run around," Shields said.

Gavin concurred, exclaiming that the park "is awesome" as he cast out another fishing line. Shields lamented that Gavin is still looking for his first catch.

Natural play spaces were the last to be completed, with water trickling over stonework like a splash pad, slides that drop children in two areas and playground equipment was installed in September and early October.

A serenity garden and grand lawn exhibit new landscaping.

Road construction improved the entrance to Lake Atalanta Park at East Walnut Street and North Lake Atalanta Road by adding a left turn lane into the park, lighting for the street and a nearby trail and replacement of a culvert to increase drainage.

Preliminary work started on the Lake Atalanta project in 2008. About 125 acres of surrounding property was purchased in recent years to expand the park. The 20 acres at Walnut Grove was included in those purchases. The Walton Family Foundation provided a $3.8 million matching grant to the city for the park's improvement.

The Work Projects Administration began construction on the lake in 1936. Its dam was one of 36 built in Arkansas between 1930 and 1937. The park included mini-golf, a swimming pool and roller skating rink in the past.

NW News on 10/24/2016

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