BY LEW MOORES
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP
- Visitors apparently flocked back to the Winton Woods Harbor area this past spring and summer, in the park's first season open after being closed two seasons for restoration.
The harbor area opened for water activities, like fishing and boating, in late March, and thousands of visitors used the restored Winton Woods Lake and the harbor facilities.
More than 5,400 visitors took a tour boat ride in the 188-acre lake, park district records show. More than 4,700 rowboats were rented, while more than 16,500 people rented a pedal boat.
"We were really happy to see such a variety of people coming to the park," said Joy Landry, communications specialist for the park district. "We had anglers lining up early in the morning so they could get out and fish. We had a lot of families coming to enjoy the playground. And certainly tons of people on the trails, doing everything from just walking the dog to in-line skating or tooling around on their bikes. So we were very pleased with the response. Obviously, the numbers are a good reflection of the visitation."
The dredging of Winton Woods Lake began in March 1995, and when it was completed about 10 months later, 930,000 cubic yards of silt and debris had been removed from the lake, increasing its surface area by about 30 acres.
The work, which cost about $1.5 million, also made for a cleaner and more hospitable aquatic environment for wildlife.
Just as that work was being completed, the park district began a massive project costing $8.5 million to renovate the harbor area. A floating boathouse was added, a 1.7-mile bike-hike trail was constructed, the shelter house was expanded with snack bar and restrooms, and the playground was relocated to make it less susceptible to flooding.
Additional parking was included in the project, a new wet playground was added, and the road that runs past the harbor area, Lakeview Drive, was relocated to higher ground, again to make it less prone to flooding.
Park district officials credit the public with being patient with the closing of the harbor area and the whole construction process and whatever disruption that caused.
"We've seen a real turn-around in public opinion of the project based on what it looked like in the beginning during construction," said John Klein, land manager for the park district. "A lot of the habitats were being altered by construction. But one of the good things was a lot of the shoreline areas were protected."
The boathouse has closed for the season and will reopen March 20. The wet playground will reopen May 22.
