The sandpit of water in southwest Great Bend is expected to receive improvements after the Great Bend Rotary Club received permission to move forward with plans to upgrade MacArthur Lake.
Along with the Great Bend City Council’s blessing to make the body of water at 7th Street and MacArthur Street more accessible for fishing, the board approved the lake’s name to be changed to Rotary Lake.
Gary Burk, with the Rotary Club, says it is time to make the lake usable for Great Bend residents.
Gary Burk Audio
Along with fundraising, the Rotary Club plans on receiving grants from the likes of Walmart Community Foundation and other grant distributors.
Burk noted MacArthur Lake is already used for fishing, but fishing spots are limited because the lake in inaccessible in areas. The plan would be to connect the two sandpits with a 24-inch culvert and insert four access points around the lake.
Gary Burk Audio
The basic plan also includes a picnic area with a port-a-potty type latrine and a picnic table with handicap access. Wheatland Electric will install a security light and run power onto the site. The City of Great Bend will take on the $10 a month expense for the light’s electricity and will also be in charge of cleaning the port-a-potty.
The Rotary Club will restock the lake with 200 large-mouth bass, 8 to 10 inches long, this spring.