Isabella County Parks and Recreation Commission recently received a Michigan DNR Recreation Passport Grant titled: Coldwater Lake Family Park Campground Improvements in the amount of $150,000 (the maximum award amount). The grant will fund a campground improvement project totaling $220,000. In early 2019, the County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution to accept the grant and approved the matching funds to get the project started. The project plans include the reorganization of eight existing campsites plus the addition of one new site in order to provide much needed pull-through access. In addition, there will be electrical upgrades from 30 amp to 50-amp service as well as some electrical and water improvements to 6 – 10 existing sites along with the new pull-through sites in the northern section of the park. These improvements will provide additional modern sites to accommodate larger, more technologically advanced RV’s within the popular campground nestled on Coldwater Lake. The project is scheduled to be completed by early Spring 2020.
The MDNR funds projects such as this through the Recreation Passport Program. The objective of the program is to provide funding to local municipalities for the development of public recreation facilities – which includes the development of new facilities as well as the renovation of current facilities. When Michigan residents opt to add the $11.00 Recreation Passport fee to their annual license plate renewal, not only do they gain access to Michigan State Parks, but they help those dollars come back to communities to add value to local parks such as the Isabella County Parks.
